TLDR Androgen conjugates might be better indicators of skin sensitivity to hormones in women with excessive hair growth.
The document from 1993 discusses the challenge of identifying markers for skin sensitivity to androgens in women with hirsutism, a condition characterized by excessive hair growth due to increased androgen production or enhanced skin sensitivity to these hormones. While serum levels of testosterone, androstenedione, and DHEAS are often elevated in hirsute women, they do not reliably indicate skin sensitivity. The enzyme 5α-reductase, which converts testosterone to the more potent DHT, plays a role in modulating skin sensitivity, but serum DHT levels do not correlate well with hirsutism severity. The review suggests that androstanediol glucuronide and possibly other androgen conjugates, which are metabolized from DHT, may serve as better biochemical markers for cutaneous androgen metabolism and action. Some studies indicate that these conjugates primarily originate from adrenal precursors and could be markers of adrenal hyperandrogenism. The review aims to critically evaluate the physiological significance of androgen conjugates and determine whether they reflect cutaneous androgen metabolism or are simply associated with hirsutism due to the overproduction of androgen precursors.
147 citations,
April 1990 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Finasteride safely lowers DHT levels without affecting testosterone.
66 citations,
October 1987 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism” Measuring androstanediol glucuronide in blood is useful for assessing and tracking treatment in women with excessive hair growth.
35 citations,
May 1986 in “Clinics in endocrinology and metabolism” The exact cause of increased 5α-reductase activity leading to hirsutism in women is still unknown.
142 citations,
February 1985 in “Fertility and sterility” Spironolactone reduced hair thickness and some testosterone levels in women with excessive hair growth.
179 citations,
May 1982 in “The Journal of clinical investigation/The journal of clinical investigation” High levels of 3 alpha-diol glucuronide in the blood are a marker of increased androgen action in women with excessive hair growth of unknown cause.
14 citations,
February 2016 in “Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research” Blood tests are needed to confirm high male hormone levels in women with PCOS, as physical signs alone are not reliable.
3 citations,
January 2012 in “Hanyang Medical Reviews” The document concludes that more research is needed to create suitable diagnostic criteria and understand PCOS in Korean women, and genetics may allow for personalized treatment.
85 citations,
June 2006 in “Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism” The document concludes that hirsutism is the main sign for diagnosing hyperandrogenism, which requires a detailed patient history and physical exam.
1 citations,
April 1993 in “Problemy e̊ndokrinologii” Spironolactone effectively reduces symptoms of hyperandrogenism like hirsutism and acne.
31 citations,
October 1971 in “Steroids” Human beard hair follicles change testosterone into other related hormones, but don't much change androstenedione into testosterone.
