PLASMA ANDROGENS IN WOMEN WITH HYPERPROLACTINAEMIC AMENORRHOES

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Abstract
Cortisol, androstenedione, testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHAS) and free dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA) were measured in plasma of 10 women affected by amenorrhea with hyperprolactinemia and 11 women affected by secondary hypothalamic amenorrhea; 12 normal women at the 2nd day of the menstrual cycle were used as controls. All subjects were hospitalized, and 17-ketosteroids, 17OH-corticosteroids and total dehydroepiandrosterone were measured in urine. Plasma DHAS was increased in all subjects affected by amenorrhea with hyperprolactinemia, while plasma DHA and urinary DHA were significantly increased in this group in comparison to other groups. Plasma cortisol, androstenedione and testosterone and urinary 17-oxosteroids and 17OH-corticosteroids were not significantly different in the 3 groups. In subjects affected by amenorrhea with hyperprolactinemia treated with bromocriptine a clear decrease of DHAS correlating with a decrease of plasma prolactin was observed. Since in women DHAS seems to be almost exclusively secreted by the adrenal gland and most of the circulating DHA is derived from adrenal secretion, human prolactin can probably stimulate DHAS production by the adrenal cortex.