ANDROGEN SERUM LEVELS IN WOMEN WITH PREMATURE OVARIAN FAILURE COMPARED TO FERTILE AND MENOPAUSAL CONTROLS

Objective: The purpose of our study was to examine androgen serum leve ls and bone density in women with premature ovarian failure (POF) comp ared to healthy normal controls. Study Design: Thirty-three women 19-3 5 years of age with idiopathic POF were compared to 33 well-matched wo men with normal ovarian function and 32 healthy postmenopausal (PMP) w omen concerning 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP), androstendione (A), t estosterone (T), dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEAS), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), as well as bone density (ED). Results: Women with POF showed statistically significantly lower concentrations of 17 -OHP, A, T (p < 0.001) and a reduced bone density (p < 0.001) compared to fertile controls. No differences were found between POF and PMP wo men concerning estradiol (E-2), T, A and 17-OHP. Regarding DHEAS, no s tatistically significant differences were found between women with POF and fertile controls whereas PMP women proved to have significantly l ower DHEAS concentrations than fertile controls. Women with POF had th e highest IGF-1 serum concentrations and PMP women the lowest. Conclus ion: An important decrement of ovarian steroids and bone density was n oticed in women with POF, while the time since menopause had no influe nce on androgen concentrations. The hormone concentrations in women wi th POF are similar to those observed in normal PMP women with the exce ption of DHEAS and IGF-I levels.