Peripheral hormone levels and the endometrial condition in postmenopausal women

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Abstract
Thirteen postmenopausal women with benign endometrial changes including proliferative, secretory and polypous endometrium, endometrial hyperplasia and atypia (group 1) and 13 randomly selected age-matched controls with normal atrophic endometrium (group II) were studied for serum levels of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA) and its sulfate (DHAS), testosterone, total estrone, estradiol-17.beta., progesterone, FSH and prolactin. Serum levels of DHA, DHAS, testosterone and total estrogen were significantly higher in group I than in group II; otherwise no significant differences were found. Mean values for body weight and for Broca''s index, respectively, were almost identical in the 2 groups. The adrenal androgens may affect the endometrium in 2 ways, namely via peripheral conversion to estrogens and/or via direct interaction with endometrial steroid receptors. The hypothesis of an association between adrenocortical hyperactivity and genesis of endometrial abnormalities including endometrial carcinoma is supported.