Clinical Usefulness of Plasma Androstanediol Glucuronide Measurements in Women with Idiopathic Hirsutism*
- 1 October 1987
- journal article
- research article
- Published by The Endocrine Society in Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism
- Vol. 65 (4), 597-601
- https://doi.org/10.1210/jcem-65-4-597
Abstract
Serum androstanediol glucuronide (3.alpha.-diol G), a metabolite of the active androgens dihydrotestosterone and androstanediol, was elevated in 28 consecutive women with idiopathic hirsutism (IH). The mean 3.alpha.-diol G level in the women with IH was 487 .+-. 192 (.+-.SD) ng/dL compared to 119 .+-. 37 ng/dL in normal women (n=50), and only 1 patient had a value overlapping with the normal range. Since 3.alpha.-diol G appears to be formed entirely in target organs and has a long serum half-life, we studied its clinical usefulness by following women with IH during treatment. In 15 of 17 women with IH treated for 1-4 yr with glucocorticoids, contraceptives, or spironolactone, serum 3.alpha.-diol G levels changed concordantly with clinical responses, in contrast to the poor concordance of serum testosterone (5 of 17), free testosterone (7 of 17), and androstenedione (7 of 17). Specifically, in IH patients treated with spironolactone, serum testosterone, free testosterone, and androstenedione levels changed little, yet clinical improvement frequently occurred, and this improvement was reflected by concomitantly lowered 3.alpha.-diol G levels. Further, in 4 IH patients, discontinuation of effective therapy resulted in prompt increases in serum 3.alpha.-diol G as harbingers of worsening hair growth. We, thus, conclude that serum 3.alpha.-diol G measurements are clinically useful in evaluating hirsute women and correlate with the clinical responses to therapy.This publication has 19 references indexed in Scilit:
- Studies on the Origin of Androstanediol and Androstanediol Glucuronide in Young and Elderly Men*Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 1981
- Treatment of Hirsutism by Oral Cyproterone Acetate and Percutaneous EstradiolJournal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 1980
- A Novel Use of Spironolactone: Treatment of HirsutismJournal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 1980
- Preservation of androgen secretion during estrogen suppression with aminoglutethimide in the treatment of metastatic breast carcinoma.JCI Insight, 1980
- Increased Estrogen Production in Obese Men*Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 1979
- Adrenal Suppression with Aminoglutethimide. II. Differential Effects of Aminoglutethimide on Plasma Androstenedione and Estrogen Levels12Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 1977
- Male pseudohermaphroditism due to steroid 5α-reductase deficiencyAmerican Journal Of Medicine, 1977
- Idiopathic Hirsutism — An Ovarian AbnormalityNew England Journal of Medicine, 1976
- The effectiveness of two oral contraceptives in suppressing plasma androstenedione, testosterone, LH, and FSH, and in stimulating plasma testosterone-binding capacity in hirsute womenAmerican Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 1976
- CLINICAL ASSESSMENT OF BODY HAIR GROWTH IN WOMENJournal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 1961