dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) sulfate in serum/plasma

Reference interval

• males: 10-619 ug/dL (0.3-16.7 umol/L)
  • 19-30 years: 125-619 ug/dL (3.4-16.7 umol/L)
  • 31-50 years: 50-452 ug/dL (1.6-12.2 umol/L)
  • 51-60 years: 20-413 ug/dL (0.5-11.1 umol/L)
  • 61-83 years: 10-285 ug/dL (0.3-7.7 umol/L)
• females: 12-781 ug/dL (0.8-21.1 umol/L)
  • 19-30 years: 29-781 ug/dL (0.8-21.1 umol/L)
  • 31-50 years: 12-379 ug/dL (0.4-10.2 umol/L)
  • postmenopause: 30-260 ug/dL (0.8-7.0 umol/L)
  • one size fits all: 0.6-3.3 ug/mL (3.5-14.9 umol/L)

Increases

• pharmaceutical agents
  • clomiphene, danazol
• clinical disorders
  • females with hirsuitism & acne
  • congenital adrenal hyperplasia
  • adrenal cortex tumors
    • levels higher with adrenal carcinoma than adrenal adenoma
    • levels of serum DHEA-sulfate > 8 ug/mL diagnostic of androgen-producing adrenal carcinoma
  • Cushing's disease
  • ectopic ACTH-producing tumors
  • polycystic ovary syndrome

Decreases

• pharmaceutical agents
  • glucocorticoids
• clinical disorders
  • adrenal insufficiency, primary or secondary
• low serum DHEA-S levels predict cardiovascular events due to coronary artery disease (MI, acute coronary syndrome ..) in elderly men
  • no association of serum DHEA-S & cardiovascular events due cerebrovascular disease (TIA, ischemic stroke)

* DHEA-sulfate serum levels decline progressively with aging. Serum levels provide an estimate of adrenal androgen production.

Specimen

• serum or plasma (EDTA)
• stable for 2 days at 4 degrees C
• stable for 2 months at -20 degrees C

More general terms

• dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) sulfate in body fluid

Additional terms

• dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-SO4)

Component of

• dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S)/cortisol in serum/plasma

Patient information

dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) sulfate in serum/plasma patient information