title: The free testosterone to dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate molar ratio as a marker of visceral fat accumulation in premenopausal obese women.
abstract: The aim of this paper was to investigate the relationship between sex hormones and fat distribution in premenopausal obese women. Serum concentrations of sex hormones, glucose tolerance and fat distribution were determined in a population of non-diabetic obese women, in the outpatient clinic of University Hospital, Bari, Italy. The subjects were 40 consecutive premenopausal obese women (BMI > 25). The amounts of visceral, abdominal subcutaneous, and femoral subcutaneous fat, and the visceral to abdominal subcutaneous fat ratio were measured by ultrasound techniques. Serum concentrations of total testosterone (T), free testosterone (FT), dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS), delta 4-androstenedione (A), 17-beta-estradiol (E2), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), and the FT to DHEAS molar ratio were measured during the follicular phase. Plasma glucose and insulin concentrations were evaluated during an oral glucose tolerance test. Of all sex hormones, the FT/DHEAS molar ratio was the parameter that most closely related to the amount of visceral fat (r: 0.544, P < 0.001), and this positive association was maintained (P < 0.01) after adjustment for age, BMI and insulin levels (fitted model: R2 adjusted: 0.504; F ratio: 14.73; P-value: < 0.0001). DHEAS was inversely correlated with the amount of visceral fat (r: -0.324, P < 0.05). T was inversely correlated with the amounts of both abdominal subcutaneous (r: -0.409, P < 0.01) and visceral fat (r: -0.324, P < 0.05). The FT to DHEAS molar ratio is the androgenic parameter that most closely relates to the accumulation of visceral fat in premenopausal obese women.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Clinica Medica, Endocrinologia e Malattie Metaboliche, Università degli Studi di Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Pergola
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Triggiani
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giorgino
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Cospite
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Garruti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cignarelli
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guastamacchia
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Giorgino
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000737:chemistry / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology; D001824:Body Constitution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017697:Premenopause / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014781:Viscera / Q000737:chemistry / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D008055:Lipids; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D013739:Testosterone; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D004958:Estradiol; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate