怨⑤컲�옣湲� �깉異쒖쬆 �솚�옄�쓽 �뒪�뀒濡쒖씠�뱶 ���궗

Objective : To identify 1) whether the endogenous steroid hormone metabolism in patients with pelvic organ prolapse was different from that of normal women, 2) the relationship between endogenous steroid hormone metabolites and the stage of the pelvic organ prolapse. Methods : Twenty postmenopausal women who were clinically diagnosed as having pelvic organ prolapse and 20 volunteer postmenopausal women not having pelvic organ prolapse were included in the study. We compared the urinary profiles of endogenous steroids between the two groups and investigated the relationship between urinary profiles of the endogenous steroids and the degree of pelvic organ prolapse. Urinary profiles of the endogenous steroids were assayed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results : The ages of the patients and control group were 64.6짹6.5 and 63.5짹3.9 years, and the Body Mass Index (BMI) was 23.96짹3.14 and 24.11짹 kg/m^2 in patients and in normal subjects, respectively. The number of patients in each stage were 4 in stage �뀪, 4 in stage �뀫, 6 in stage �뀬 and 6 in stage �뀭. 5-androstene-3棺, 16棺, 17棺-triol (5-AT), 11棺-hydroxy androstenedione (An) and 17棺-estradiol were significantly increased in patients with pelvic organ prolapse over that of the control group (0.76짹0.67 vs 0.06짹0.03 關mole/g creatinine; p=0.002, 1.16짹0.83 vs 0.65짹0.23 關mole/g creatinine; p=0.04, 15.08짹9.81 vs 8.53짹6.19 關mole/g creatinine; p=0.04). However, tetrahydrocortisone (THE) was significantly increased in the control group over that in patients having pelvic organ prolapse (9.80짹6.21 vs 5.22짹4.89 關mole/g creatinine; p=0.04). The androgen metabolites, 5-AT and THE significantly correlated with the POP-Q stage (R=0.418; p=0.027, R=0.46; p=0.016). Among the estrogen metabolites, 17棺-estradiol was correlated to the POP-Q stage but not mathematically significantly (R=0.38; p=0.05) and the 17棺-estradiol/extrone ratio weakly correlated to pelvic organ prolapse stage (R=0.14l p=0.49,), by showing a low correlation coefficiency. Conclusion : The urinary concentrations of 17棺-estradiol, 5-AT and 11棺-hydroxy an increased in patients with pelvic organ prolapse over that of the control group and 5-AT, THE and 17棺-estradiol showed a relationship to the progression of pelvic organ prolapse in Korean women. The metabolites of endogenous steroid hormones could be contributing factors in the pathogenesis of pelvic organ prolapse.