The significance of sex-hormone-binding globulin and free androgen index in the estimation of androgenic cases

Abstract

Hormone analyses for hirsute women suggested that free testosterone was most revealing in biological effects and sex-hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) was quantitatively persuative. Presented in this paper are the measurements of testosterone, androstendion, dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHAS), SHBG, androstandiol and free androgen index (FAI) in 51 women with hirsutism. 92% of the hirsute women with elevated androgen level showed decrease in SHBG values and increase in FAI. 17 females with hirsutism revealed abnormally high androstandiol values which were highly related to the values of total and free testosterone (r = 0.78,r = 0.80, respectively). It is suggested that in clinical practice SHBG and FAI should also be measured besides testosterone and DHAS.

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