[Various aspects of the diagnosis of hirsutism]

A study was made of total testosterone, estradiol, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone-sulphate, progesterone, testosterone and estradiol binding by transport proteins (sex steroid binding by globulin and albumin) in the blood plasma, androgen cytoplasmic receptors in pubic skin biopsy in 35 patients with hirsutism of various degree of expression and disturbance of menstrual function. An increase in low active androgens (androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulphate in most women) interpreted clinically as idiopathic form of hirsutism, was noted. Low levels of androgens in the presence of the lowest indices of estradiol, progesterone and sex steroid binding globulin and the highest results of free and albumin bound testosterone fraction as well as the index of free androgens in patients with Stage III hirsutism were found against a background of irregular menses which could promote more pronounced virilization in these women. A degree of expression of hirsutism showed correlation with the results of determination of the free androgen index reflecting androgen biological activity. The authors revealed reverse correlation of the concentration of total testosterone, its free fraction and the number of common sites of the binding of dehydrotestosterone with receptor proteins as well as the frequency of detection of androgen free receptors in the pubic skin cytosol of patients with a various degree of hirsutism.