Dehydroepiandrosterone for Adrenal Insufficiency

The human adrenal cortex secretes not only the essential hormones cortisol and aldosterone, but also dehydroepiandrosterone and large amounts of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate. The serum concentration of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate is 20 times that of serum cortisol, and the concentration of dehydroepiandrosterone is 1/20 that of cortisol. The very high concentration of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate reflects its high rate of secretion and low rate of metabolic clearance. Dehydroepiandrosterone and its sulfate are interconvertible. The sulfate is mainly formed from dehydroepiandrosterone in the zona reticularis of the adrenal gland and in the liver by a sulfotransferase, and many organs that are targets of androgens . . .