title: Efficacy of metformin therapy in adolescent girls with androgen excess: relation to sex hormone-binding globulin and androgen receptor polymorphisms.
abstract: We studied the effects of the SHBG (TAAAA)(n) and androgen receptor gene [AR] (CAG)(n) allele length on endocrine-metabolic features and body composition (by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) before and after 1 year on metformin (850 mg/d) in 70 girls with polycystic ovary syndrome after precocious pubarche; allele lengths were assessed by polymerase chain reaction in both patients and in population control subjects (n = 107). Longer SHBG (TAAAA)(n) alleles (>8 repeats) were associated with more improvement of the lipid profile after 1 year on metformin, whereas longer AR (CAG)(n) alleles were related to more normalization of the androgen and lipid levels after therapy; longer alleles in both genes had an additive effect on the beneficial changes of SHBG, T, and lipids after metformin.
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology Unit, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Díaz
authors.forename: Abel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: López-Bermejo
authors.forename: Clive J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Petry
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: de Zegher
authors.forename: Lourdes
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ibáñez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000728:Androgens / Q000097:blood; D054316:Biomarkers, Pharmacological / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017588:Hyperandrogenism / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008687:Metformin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000502:physiology; D011629:Puberty, Precocious / Q000235:genetics; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000235:genetics*; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000235:genetics*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018911:Trinucleotide Repeats / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D054316:Biomarkers, Pharmacological; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D008687:Metformin