title: Increase in H-Y antigen-positive lymphocytes in hirsute women: effects of cyproterone acetate and estradiol treatment.
abstract: To investigate a possible relationship between lymphocyte H-Y antigen expression and plasma androgen concentrations in hirsute women, 27 hirsute women were studied. A significant increase in the percentage of H-Y-positive lymphocytes was found in both hirsute women with idiopathic hirsutism [13.4 +/- 2.9% (+/- SD); n = 15] and hirsute women with the polycystic ovary syndrome (13.0 +/- 2.8%; n = 12) compared to that in normal women (10.0 +/- 1.9%; n = 30; P less than 0.0005). Plasma testosterone and androstenedione concentrations, % H-Y+ lymphocytes, and hirsutism scores diminished during oral cyproterone acetate (50 mg/day) and percutaneous estradiol (3 mg/day) treatment. Significant correlations between % H-Y+ lymphocytes and hirsutism scores (P less than 0.001), % H-Y+ lymphocytes and plasma T concentrations (P less than 0.01) were found. We conclude that 1) women can produce H-Y antigen in the same way as men; 2) hirsutism is associated with an increase in H-Y antigen; and 3) the antiandrogen cyproterone acetate reduces H-Y antigen expression on lymphocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, University of Bretagne Occidentale, Brest, France.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Amice
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Bercovici
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nahoul
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Hatahet
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Amice
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D003534:Cyproterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology; D017373:Cyproterone Acetate; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006182:H-Y Antigen / Q000276:immunology*; D006628:Hirsutism / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D006182:H-Y Antigen; D013739:Testosterone; D000735:Androstenedione; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D017373:Cyproterone Acetate; D004958:Estradiol; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D003534:Cyproterone