The plasma concentrations for unconjugated and conjugated oestrone, oestradiol-17 beta and oestriol, were measured in 25 male patients with chronic
alcoholism and 25 healthy male blood donors of the same age. All persons had normal weight and were free of medication. The patients with chronic
alcoholism consisted of 15 persons with and 10 without
hepatomegaly. Liver biopsy was performed in the persons with
hepatomegaly. Unconjugated oestrogens were separated on LH-20 micro columns after extraction with
diethyl ether. Oestrogen sulphates were extracted and separated after hydrolysis with sulphatase, and
glucuronides were extracted and separated after hydrolysis with
glucuronidase. In the patients with
hepatomegaly the plasma concentrations of unconjugated oestrone, oestradiol-17 beta and oestriol were significantly increased, and the plasma levels for the same oestrogen sulphates were significantly decreased, whereas a moderate increase was observed for
oestriol glucuronide. The patients without
hepatomegaly revealed a significantly lower plasma concentration for
oestrone sulphate, whereas no difference was seen for the remaining oestrogen components. The ratio
oestrone sulphate to oestrone was significantly reduced in both groups of patients. A significant decrease for the ratio
oestradiol sulphate to
oestradiol and oestriol sulphate to oestriol was seen only in the patients with
hepatomegaly.