Body fat accumulation is possibly responsible for lower dehydroepiandrosterone circulating levels in premenopausal obese women.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether any androgen is independently related with parameters of body fat accumulation and distribution in obese women.


METHODS
Circulating insulin and androgen levels (total testosterone (T), free testosterone (FT), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), androstenedione, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG)) and the parameters of body fat accumulation and distribution (body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, total body fat volume (TBF), visceral adipose tissue area (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue area (SAT) were determined in a population of non-diabetic obese women.


METHODS
28 premenopausal obese women, recruited at the Verona University Hospital Outpatient Clinic.


METHODS
TBF, VAT and SAT area were quantified by computed tomography. Hormone levels were measured by RIA.


RESULTS
SHBG showed an inverse correlation with BMI (r: -0.452, P < 0.05), WHR (r: -0.388, P < 0.05), TBF (r: -0.509, P < 0.01), VAT (r: -0.378, P < 0.05) and SAT (r: -0.449, P < 0.05). DHEA was negatively associated with BMI (r: -0.376, P < 0.05), TBF (r: -0 < 0.05), VAT (r: -0.662, P < 0.001) and SAT (r: -0.401, p < 0.05). T was found to be inversely related with VAT (r: -0.401, P < 0.05). Androstenedione was positively correlated with WHR (r: 0.383, P < 0.05). DHEAS and FT did not show significant associations with BMI, WHR, or any CT-parameters. Stepwise multiple regressions were performed for all androgens: one of the age-adjusted androgens was considered as the dependent variable for each analysis, and insulin, VAT, SAT and all other androgens were entered into the regression model. DHEA was the only hormone to show an independent association (negative) with both SAT (t-value: -3.683, P < 0.01) and VAT (t-value: -2.252, P < 0.05), whereas DHEAS showed an independent positive correlation with SAT (t-value: -2.241, P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Among the androgens, DHEA seems to be the most sensitive to body fat accumulation in premenopausal obese women.
De Pergola
G
G
Institute of Medical Clinic, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, School of Medicine, University of Bari, Policlinco di Bari, Italy.
Zamboni
M
M
Sciaraffia
M
M
Turcato
E
E
Pannacciulli
N
N
Armellini
F
F
Giorgino
F
F
Perrini
S
S
Bosello
O
O
Giorgino
R
R
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000328:Adult; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000097:blood; D000886:Anthropometry; D001824:Body Constitution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D016014:Linear Models; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood*; D017697:Premenopause; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000032:analysis; D012867:Skin; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014781:Viscera
D007328:Insulin; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D013739:Testosterone; D000735:Androstenedione; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone