Determining the Normal Cut-Off Levels for Hyperandrogenemia in Chinese Women of Reproductive Age

In a study of 450 Chinese women of reproductive age, normal cut-off levels for hyperandrogenemia were established. The cut-off levels for free testosterone (FT), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), and total testosterone (TT) were set at 26 pmol/L, 4.92 µmol/L, and 2.39 nmol/L, respectively, corresponding to the 91.8th percentile for FT, the 69.8th percentile for DHEAS, and the 90.0th percentile for TT. The study also found that DHEAS levels significantly declined with age, while FT and TT levels did not vary significantly across age groups. These cut-off values are proposed to indicate hyperandrogenism in this population, with the study being the first to use K-means cluster analysis to determine these levels. However, the study noted the limitation of using immunoassay methods for measuring FT.