AUTOANTIBODY AGAINST TESTOSTERONE IN A WOMAN WITH HYPERGONADOTROPIC HYPOGONADISM

We demonstrate that antitestosterone autoantibody is produced in a 24- yr-old woman with hypergonadotropic hypogonadism. The serum testostero ne level measured by RIA was extremely elevated (5.80 ng/mL); after el ution, serum testosterone had returned to a normal female value (0.21 ng/mL). The clinical features were suggestive of no androgen activity. Primary follicles were present in the patent's ovary. After gonadotro pin treatment, conception was achieved, and a normal female infant was delivered. A gel filtration study showed that the testosterone-bindin g activity was eluted at the position of 150,000-kDa Ig. Scatchard ana lysis revealed a low affinity antibody; the association constant was 0 .034 x 10(3) mol(-1), and the maximal binding capacity was 162 mu mol/ mL. An immunoprecipitation study using the chain-specific antibodies s howed that the antitestosterone autoantibody belonged to kappa-type Ig G. This subject is the first reported case with an endocrine disorder who possessed autoantibodies against testosterone.