3a-Dihydroprogesterone, Urine Creatinine Ratio Unit Converter

3α-Dihydroprogesterone (3α-DHP) is a metabolite of progesterone formed directly by the enzyme 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3α-HSD). It belongs to a class of compounds called neurosteroids, which are active in the brain and nervous system.

When measured in urine and normalized to creatinine, this marker reflects both progesterone production and how efficiently your body converts progesterone into its neuroactive metabolites. The creatinine correction accounts for differences in urine concentration between samples.

Unlike allopregnanolone (another calming progesterone metabolite), 3α-DHP is produced directly from progesterone without requiring the 5α-reductase enzyme. This makes it a useful marker for evaluating progesterone metabolism even in individuals taking 5α-reductase inhibitors.

3α-DHP is produced when the enzyme 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase converts progesterone directly. This conversion occurs primarily in the liver, but also in the brain, adrenal glands, and other tissues. The progesterone itself comes mainly from the ovaries (corpus luteum during the luteal phase), the placenta during pregnancy, and the adrenal glands.