Human chorionic gonadotropin stimulation to assess for ovarian hyperandrogenism.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) stimulation elicits an exaggerated 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) response in patients with functional ovarian hyperandrogenism.


METHODS
In this clinical study, healthy volunteers and hyperandrogenic patients in an outpatient General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) setting were studied. Five adolescent girls with functional ovarian hyperandrogenism were studied. Six healthy women with regular menstrual cycles volunteered for this study. Steroid hormone responses to hCG stimulation were measured before and 30, 240, and 300 minutes after hCG injection. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia was excluded through ACTH stimulation testing and molecular genetic analysis.


METHODS
17-OHP responses.


RESULTS
Mean basal 17-OHP concentrations were greater in the hyperandrogenic patients, 110.4+/-41.2 ng/dL versus 61.8+/-28.6 ng/dL. After hCG stimulation, 17-hydroxyprogesterone concentrations significantly increased in the patients and were unchanged in the healthy controls.


CONCLUSIONS
hCG stimulation elicited greater 17-hydroxyprogesterone responses in adolescent girls with functional ovarian hyperandrogenism compared with healthy controls. hCG stimulation may be helpful to confirm ovarian hyperandrogenism.
Witchel
S F
SF
Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.
Lee
P A
PA
D019326:17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D017931:DNA Primers; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D017588:Hyperandrogenism / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D010050:Ovarian Function Tests / Q000379:methods
D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D017931:DNA Primers; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D019326:17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone