Abstract
In 49 patients affected by PCO syndrome the serum levels of dehydroepiandroster-one-sulphate (DHEAs) were determined and correlated with the cfinical presentation and the endocrine pattern. Twenty-three patients (47%) had high DHEAs levels (h-DHEAs patients). They presented a milder clinical presentation (low incidence of amenorrhea) than PCO patients with normal DHEAs levels (n-DHEAs patients). In h-DHEAs patients the finding of a normal DHEAs. response to ACTH and of slightly increased 17OHP serum levels suggested that the elevation of serum DHEAs was not due to an adrenal enzymatic deficiency but to a tonic hyperstimulation of the adrenals. Two subgroups of h-DHEAs patients were identified: in the first subgroup, PRL and estrone levels were increased and probably explained the DHEAs hypersecretion; in the second subgroup, the endocrine pattern was very similar to that observed in n-DHEAs.patients and a clear explanation for DHEAs increase was not found, although the possibility of an exaggerated secretion of some pituitary hormones with adrenal androgen stimulating activity must be considered.
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Carmina, E., Rosato, F. & Jannì, A. Increased DHEAs levels in PCO syndrome: evidence for the existence of two subgroups of patients. J Endocrinol Invest 9, 5–9 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03348052
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03348052