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Updated: Aug 5, 2026

Mechanical and Controlled PRP Injections in Patients Affected by Androgenetic Alopecia
Published on: January 27, 2018
Hyperandrogenemia in patients presenting with acne
S M Slayden1, C Moran, W M Sams
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35249-7333, USA.
Objective:
To determine whether acne is associated with hyperandrogenemia, regardless of age of presentation.
Design:
Prospective controlled study.
Setting:
Tertiary-care medical center.
Patient(S):
Thirty consecutive unselected women presenting with acne and no hirsutism and 24 eumenorrheic healthy controls.
Intervention(S):
Serum samples was taken in all patients, and an acute 60-minute ACTH-(1-24) test was performed in 19 patients.
Main Outcome Measure(S):
Total and free T, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and DHEAS levels in basal samples, and ACTH-stimulated 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-HP) response to exclude 21-hydroxylase (21-OH)-deficient nonclassic adrenal hyperplasia (NCAH) were determined.
Result(S):
Nonhirsute patients with acne demonstrated significantly lower levels of SHBG and higher free-T and DHEAS levels than controls. Nineteen (63%) acneic patients had at least one androgen value above the 95% of controls. In patients aged 12-18 years, 7/8 (88%) had at least one increased androgen value, compared with 12/22 (55%) patients aged 19-43 years. One patient (5.3%) was found to have 21-OH-deficient NCAH.
Conclusion(S):
Hyperandrogenemia was evident in a majority of nonhirsute acneic patients studied, regardless of age. These data suggest that androgen suppression may be useful in treating acne in many of these patients.
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