Androstanediolglucuronide: a parameter for peripheral androgen activity before and during therapy with cyproterone acetate.

Abstract

Serum 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha,17 beta-diolglucuronide (3 alpha-AdiolG) levels were measured and the degree of hirsutism was scored in female outpatients complaining of excessive hair growth before and during treatment with cyproterone acetate. In a group of 16 patients with idiopathic hirsutism and in a group of 9 patients with either polycystic ovary syndrome and hirsutism or 21-hydroxylase deficiency and hirsutism, the serum 3 alpha-AdiolG levels were significantly increased (p less than 0.01) as compared with the serum 3 alpha-AdiolG level in a control group of 13 apparently healthy women: 3 alpha-AdiolG levels, median (range), being 5.3 (2.3-7.8) nmol/l, 8.5 (4.1-10.4) nmol/l, and 2.9 (1.5-5.2) nmol/l, respectively. In contrast to a previous report, no correlation was found between the serum 3 alpha-AdiolG levels and the Quetelet Index (N = 18, R = 0.42, p greater than 0.05), indicating an apparent ineffectiveness of the excessive androgen turnover in fat tissue. The use of the anti-androgen drug cyproterone acetate alone or in combination with ethinylestradiol in reverse sequential therapy did lower the 3 alpha-AdiolG levels significantly (p less than 0.01) together with a significant decrease (p less than 0.01) in hirsutism score. From the results of this study we therefore conclude that 3 alpha-AdiolG can be used as a parameter for peripheral androgen action before and during treatment with anti-androgens.