title: Testosterone deficiency in young women with 46,XX spontaneous premature ovarian failure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether women with 46,XX spontaneous premature ovarian failure have lower serum free-T levels than do control women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional.
  
  
  METHODS
  National Institutes of Health Clinical Research Center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women with 46,XX spontaneous premature ovarian failure (n = 130).
  
  
  METHODS
  Evaluation while off any estrogen therapy and then again after receiving a standardized hormone regimen. Regularly menstruating control women (n = 65) were sampled during the midfollicular phase.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum total T by RIA after extraction and column chromatography, free T by equilibrium dialysis, and sex hormone-binding globulin by immunoradiometric assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  While off estrogen therapy patients had a median serum free-T concentration that was statistically significantly lower than controls (2.2 vs. 3.3 pg/mL). This dropped significantly lower to 1.9 pg/mL while the patients were on physiologic transdermal E(2) therapy. This is despite the fact that sex hormone-binding globulin levels did not change. While on E(2) therapy, 13% of women (95% confidence interval, 7.9%-20.3%) had serum free-T levels below the lower limit of normal (<1.1 pg/mL).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As a group, young women with 46,XX spontaneous premature ovarian failure have reduced circulating free-T levels, both during an interval off of estrogen therapy and while on physiologic transdermal E(2) therapy.
authors.affiliation: Section on Women's Health Research, Developmental Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Sophia N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Kalantaridou
authors.forename: Karim A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Calis
authors.forename: Vien H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Vanderhoof
authors.forename: Vladimir K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Bakalov
authors.forename: Emily C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Corrigan
authors.forename: James F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Troendle
authors.forename: Lawrence M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Nelson
mesh_terms: D041321:Chromosomes, Human, X / Q000235:genetics*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006060:Gonadal Dysgenesis, Mixed / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D016649:Primary Ovarian Insufficiency / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood* / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone