Body Build and Urinary Steroid Excretion in Mental Illness

¹ M.R.C. Neuropsychiatric Research Unit, Carshalton, and West Park Hospital, Epsom, Surrey
² Area Laboratory, West Park Hospital, Epsom

The androgyny score, a measure of sexual maturation that develops during adolescence under the influence of androgens and other hormones, was found to be low, that is more feminine in male patients suffering from depression and schizophrenia. To test the hypothesis that this abnormality in physique is related to abnormal adrenocortical or gonadal activity the urinary excretion of 17-hydroxycorticosteroids, 17-oxosteroids and oestrogens was measured in two groups of male patients suffering from depression and schizophrenia. The urinary excretion of these steroids in the patients was compared with the excretion rates in a group of normal men and a group of normal women. A hormonal sex discriminant, based on the urinary excretion of these steroids in normal men and women, was calculated.

Schizophrenic patients showed no significant difference in the rate of excretion of these steroids from normal men.

Compared to normal men depressed patients showed an increased excretion of 17-hydroxycorticosteroids, 17-oxosteroids, 11-hydroxyandrosterone, 11-hydroxyaetiocholanoline; the excretion of oestrone and 17-oestradiol was significantly reduced.

The hormonal sex discriminant was normal in both groups of patients and showed no deviation towards the feminine to parallel the abnormalities in the androgyny score. It was concluded that the investigation provided no evidence of a lack of androgen production or other steroids that could account for the abnormalities in physique, but it was emphasized that caution should be exercised in drawing conclusions about androgen and other steroid production from the examination of the urinary excretion of these steroids.