Human Reproduction, Vol. 17, No. 10, 2573-2579,
October 2002
© 2002 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
Maternal serum androgens in pregnant women with polycystic ovarian syndrome: possible implications in prenatal androgenization
1 Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, San Juan de Dios Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Chile, 2 Laboratory of Neurobiochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Chile, 3 Laboratory of Energy Metabolism and Stable Isotopes, INTA, University of Chile, Santiago and 4 Laboratory of Animal Physiology and Endocrinology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Concepción, Chillán, Chile
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the peripheral serum androgen concentrations in normal and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) women during pregnancy, in order to establish if PCOS may induce gestational hyperandrogenism and therefore constitute a potential source of androgen excess for the fetus. METHODS: Twenty pregnant PCOS (PPCOS) women and 26 normal pregnant (NP) women of similar age with singleton pregnancies were selected for the study. During gestational weeks 10–16 and 22–28, a 2 h, 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed. For the OGTT, glucose and insulin were measured in each sample and testosterone, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS), estradiol, progesterone and sex hormone-binding globulin were determined in the fasting sample. RESULTS: In the first study period (gestational weeks 10–16), the levels of androstenedione, testosterone and DHEAS and the free androgen index tended to be higher in the PCOS group. These differences became significant in the second study period (gestational weeks 22–28). In this second period, 2 h insulin concentrations were also significantly higher in PPCOS than in NP women. CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrates a significant increase in androgen concentrations during pregnancy in PCOS women. We propose that these androgen concentrations could provide a potential source of androgen excess for the fetus, without leading to fetal virilization.
Key words: androgens/fetal androgen excess/insulin/PCOS/pregnancy
5 To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Las Palmeras 299, Interior Quinta Normal, Casilla 33052, Correo 33, Santiago, Chile. E-mail: tsir{at}machi.med.uchile.cl
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