Maternal serum androgens in pregnant women with polycystic ovarian syndrome: possible implications in prenatal androgenization.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to evaluate the peripheral serum androgen concentrations in normal and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) women during pregnancy, in order to establish if PCOS may induce gestational hyperandrogenism and therefore constitute a potential source of androgen excess for the fetus.


METHODS
Twenty pregnant PCOS (PPCOS) women and 26 normal pregnant (NP) women of similar age with singleton pregnancies were selected for the study. During gestational weeks 10-16 and 22-28, a 2 h, 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed. For the OGTT, glucose and insulin were measured in each sample and testosterone, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS), estradiol, progesterone and sex hormone-binding globulin were determined in the fasting sample.


RESULTS
In the first study period (gestational weeks 10-16), the levels of androstenedione, testosterone and DHEAS and the free androgen index tended to be higher in the PCOS group. These differences became significant in the second study period (gestational weeks 22-28). In this second period, 2 h insulin concentrations were also significantly higher in PPCOS than in NP women.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study demonstrates a significant increase in androgen concentrations during pregnancy in PCOS women. We propose that these androgen concentrations could provide a potential source of androgen excess for the fetus, without leading to fetal virilization.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000728:Androgens / Q000097:blood*; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D017588:Hyperandrogenism / Q000209:etiology*; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000032:analysis; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
D000728:Androgens; D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D013739:Testosterone; D000735:Androstenedione; D011374:Progesterone; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate