title: Serum levels of androstanediol glucuronide, total testosterone, and free testosterone in hirsute women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the serum levels of androstanediol glucuronide (3 alpha-diol G), total T, and free T in hirsute and nonhirsute women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Controlled clinical study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hirsute women with oligomenorrhea, hirsute women with regular ovulatory cycles, and nonhirsute women with regular cycles were selected.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum levels of 3 alpha-diol G, total T, and free T were measured in 8 hirsute with oligomenorrhea and 11 hirsute women with regular ovulatory cycles and compared with 20 nonhirsute women with regular cycles (control group). Serum 3 alpha-diol G was also measured during the follicular, periovulatory, and luteal phases in hirsute women with regular cycles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum levels of 3 alpha-diol G did not change during the menstrual cycle, in addition we observed that there was no difference between the levels of 3 alpha-diol G, total T, and free T in hirsute women with regular cycles when compared with normal women. These three serum androgens were elevated only in the hirsute women with oligomenorrhea. Besides, there was better correlation between total T and free T (r = 0.81) than total T and 3 alpha-diol G (r = 0.49) or free T and 3 alpha-diol G (r = 0.66).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings suggest that serum 3 alpha-diol G does not provide additional benefit as a marker of hirsutism than serum total or free T.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Khoury
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Baracat
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Pardini
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: de Lima
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015113:Androstane-3,17-diol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006628:Hirsutism / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000097:blood; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015113:Androstane-3,17-diol; C028895:androstane-3,17-diol glucuronide; D013739:Testosterone; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone