LOW-LEVELS OF SERUM INHIBIN-A AND INHIBIN-B IN WOMEN WITH HYPERGONADOTROPIC AMENORRHEA AND EVIDENCE OF HIGH-LEVELS OF ACTIVIN-A IN WOMEN WITH HYPOTHALAMIC AMENORRHEA

Objective: To examine serum levels of inhibin A, inhibin B, and activi n A in women with secondary hypergonadotropic or hypothalamic amenorrh ea. Design: Retrospective study. Setting: Universities of Udine, Pisa, and Modena in Italy, and of Wien in Austria. Patient(s): Forty women with idiopathic premature ovarian failure (POF), 23 women with hypogon adotropic hypothalamic amenorrhea, 40 healthy postmenopausal women, an d 40 age-matched women with normal ovarian function (controls). Interv ention(s): Blood samples were collected between s and 9 AM. Main Outco me Measure(s): Serum levels of inhibin A, inhibin B, and activin A. Re sult(s): Women with POF had lower concentrations of serum inhibin A an d inhibin B than women with hypothalamic amenorrhea and fertile contro ls, and the difference between these concentrations was statistically significant. Levels of inhibin A and inhibin B were low in postmenopau sal women and were no different than in women with POF. Serum levels o f activin A were not significantly different among women with POF, fer tile controls, and postmenopausal women. Women with hypogonadotropic h ypothalamic amenorrhea had higher activin A values than did controls. No significant correlation was found between the level of inhibin A or inhibin B and the length of amenorrhea or the level of FSH. Conclusio n(s): Low levels of circulating inhibins A and B, but not activin A, r eflect ovarian failure in women with POF, whereas women with hypogonad otropic hypothalamic amenorrhea have normal levels of inhibins A and B and high levels of activin A. (Fertil Steril(R) 1998;70:907-12. (C) 1 998 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.).