SERUM TESTOSTERONE, ANDROSTENEDIONE AND LUTEINIZING-HORMONE LEVELS AFTER SHORT-TERM MEDROXYPROGESTERONE ACETATE TREATMENT IN WOMEN WITH POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN DISEASE

Background. Medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) -treatment suppresses se rum gonadotropin and androgen concentrations in women with polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD). This study was designed to determine serum tes tosterone (T), androstenedione (A) and luteinizing hormone (LH) patter ns in a group of oligomenorrheic PCOD patients after MPA-treatment. Me thods. The study group consisted of 11 women with ultrasonographically diagnosed PCOD. Blood samples were drawn in the morning in fasting co nditions first during oligomenorrhea and then within one week after MP A-induced bleeding. After that the sampling was repeated four times at one week intervals. Student's paired t-test was used for statistical calculations. Results. The levels of T, A and LH decreased significant ly after MPA-treatment. During the follow-up the T and A concentration s increased significantly till the third sampling week, after which no further increases were found. Conclusions. Our results show that T an d A secretion return to levels characteristic of PCOD after discontinu ation of MPA-treatment within a few weeks in women with PCOD.