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High testosterone, dihydrotestosterone linked to adverse metabolic phenotype in patients with PCOS
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Patients with polycystic ovary syndrome who have a high testosterone to dihydrotestosterone ratio appear to be more likely to have an adverse metabolic phenotype, according to recent findings.
In the study, researchers evaluated 275 premenopausal women aged 16 to 48 years with PCOS and 35 BMI-matched, premenopausal, health women aged 21 to 50 years as controls. The researchers recorded anthropometric data for all participants, including height, weight, waist circumference and hip circumference.
Researchers recorded systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements and calculated BMI. Fasting blood samples were taken to evaluate basal hormone serum levels. Additionally, an oral glucose tolerance test was performed, and blood samples were collected at 30, 60 and 120 minutes to determine glucose and insulin concentrations.
A routine method for liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry was used to determine total testosterone (T), total dihydrotestosterone (DHT), androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA).
The researchers found that patients with PCOS had significantly higher levels of total T (P<.001), free testosterone (P<.001) and free DHT (P<.001) vs. healthy controls. Additionally, patients with PCOS had a significantly higher total T/DHT ratio (P<.001). No difference was found between PCOS and control participants in terms of total DHT levels (P=.072).
An analysis of just patients with PCOS revealed a significantly higher total T/DHT ratio in patients with obesity (P<.001) as well as those with metabolic syndrome (P<.001), impaired glucose tolerance (P<.001) or insulin resistance (P<.001).
The researchers also found significant association between total T/DHT ratio and various adverse anthropometric, hormonal, lipid and liver measures, and measures of glucose tolerance.
“This correlation was only found in PCOS patients, suggesting the [total] T/DHT ratio is a new biomarker for an adverse metabolic phenotype in PCOS patients,” the researchers wrote. “Nevertheless, future studies and larger trials are needed for the evaluation of results.”
Disclosure: See the full study for a complete list of the researchers’ relevant financial disclosures.
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