Test for Measurement of Adrenal Production

A new test for dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEA-S) aids in the diagnosis of conditions related to adrenal production.

DHEA-S is a steroid hormone synthesized by the adrenal glands. It reaches maximum levels in both men and women about the third decade in life, decreasing thereafter. The long half-life of serum DHEA-S, along with its low diurnal variation, makes it useful for assessing adrenal production.

The DHEA-S assay gives laboratories the ability to produce rapid, accurate results for the differential diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome as well as in the evaluation of adrenocortical diseases, such as congenital adrenal hyperplasia and adrenal tumors. In hirsute female patients, increased DHEA-S levels have been associated with virilising adrenal tumors. Patients with polycystic ovary syndrome have often demonstrated elevated levels of DHEA-S, suggesting an adrenal androgen contribution to the defect in this disorder.

The test, from Beckman Coulter (Fullerton, CA, USA), can be performed on serum or plasma and requires a sample volume of 10 ìl. The test can be run on the company's Access and Access 2 immunoassay systems as well as the UniCEl DxI 800 Access immunoassay system. It is also available on the Synchron Lxi 725 clinical system, which combines chemistry and immunoassay analysis technology with data management and automated sample handling on a single instrument.





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