11-Oxyandrogen Concentrations in Adolescents With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

May 2021 in “ Journal of the Endocrine Society ”

Anya Taylor, Meredith A Ware, Emily Breslow, Laura Pyle, Cameron Severn, Christine L. Chan, Megan M. Kelsey, Melanie Cree‐Green

11-oxyandrogens 11-hydroxyandrostenedione 11-hydroxytestosterone testosterone hirsutism combined oral contraceptive pill COCP 11-ketotestosterone metformin Polycystic Ovary Syndrome PCOS 11OHA 11OHT 11KT birth control pills

TLDR Adolescents with PCOS have higher levels of certain androgens, which are linked to hair growth but don't help diagnose PCOS better than testosterone levels.

The study, conducted on 186 adolescent females aged 12-21 years, investigated the role of 11-oxyandrogens in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). The researchers found that untreated PCOS girls had higher 11-hydroxyandrostenedione (11OHA) and 11-hydroxytestosterone (11OHT) compared to controls, but these metabolites did not better predict PCOS status compared to testosterone. All three 11-oxyandrogens correlated with hirsutism severity. Combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP) treatment decreased 11-ketotestosterone (11KT) concentrations and total testosterone, while metformin treatment had no effect on 11-oxyandrogens but lowered total testosterone. The study concluded that while 11-oxyandrogens would not aid in the diagnosis of PCOS, they relate to excess hair growth and 11KT decreases with COCP therapy. Further research was suggested to determine the relationship with metabolic outcomes and the clinical utility of measuring these androgens in PCOS.

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