OVARIAN TESTOSTERONE SECRETION DURING PERIMENOPAUSE

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate ovarian testosteron e secretion during the last few years of reproductive life and after m enopause. Materials and methods: Ovarian and peripheral venous levels of total testosterone were analyzed in 52 women aged 42-69 years (mean 51) undergoing hysterectomy with adnexal removal for benign indicatio ns at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Tampere Universit y Hospital, Finland. The study population was divided into pre- (n = 1 9), peri- (n = 18) and postmenopausal (n = 15) women in addition to th e classical division according to menstrual cycle. Corresponding serum estradiol, progesterone and gonadotropin levels were measured, and th e degree of ovarian stromal hyperplasia was analyzed. Results: The lev els of all steroid hormones were higher in the ovarian vein than in th e periphery. A significant positive correlation was found between age and ovarian vein testosterone levels (r = 0.3, P = 0.01). In premenopa usal women, it was 1.5 nmol/l (median; range 0.78-6.0), in perimenopau sal women 2.2 nmol/l (range 0.9-13.6), and 2.5 nmol/l (range 0.6-26.6) in postmenopause, respectively. Peripheral testosterone level did not increase with age. Ovarian stromal hyperplasia was significantly asso ciated with increased testosterone secretion (P = 0.009). Conclusion: The ovary seems to increase the secretion of testosterone into circula tion during the menopausal transition period, as the highest levels we re measured in postmenopausal women. High testosterone levels in the o varian vein, however, were not reflected in the peripheral venous bloo d. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.