[Serum androgens concentrations in women with idiopathic premature ovarian failure]

In this paper we investigated androgen serum concentration in women with idiopathic premature ovarian failure (POF). The research was conducted in 30 patients with POF and results of analysis were compared to 15--women after surgical oophorectomy and to groups of women matched in radomization: postmenopausal women (35 subjects) and healthy fertile women (27 subjects). We established that subjects with POF showed about 50% lower concentration of free testosterone compared to women who had undergone natural menopause and to fertile controls. Androstendione concentration was similar in all researched groups and was significantly lower than in fertile controls. Both women with POF and postmenopausal subjects showed lower concentration of dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S) compared to fertile women. Analysis of the results allowed us to come to conclusion that POF women, like women after surgical oophorectomy, suffer from relative androgen deficiency.