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Abstract
The androgen biosynthesis and autoimmunity of 25 patients with premature ovarian failure (POF) and 18 control subjects with normal cycles were examined. Serum levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP), androstenedione, and testosterone were analyzed in POF patients with or without organ-specific autoimmunity, and the results compared with those of women with normal ovarian function. The comparative analysis of DHEAS, 17-OHP, androstenedione and testosterone showed that POF patients had significantly lower values than normal women (DHEAS, androstenedione and testosterone p < 0.01, 17-OHP p < 0.05). Furthermore, we found one or more organ-specific autoantibodies in 11 patients with POF (44%), while only one woman in the control group showed autoimmunity (antithyroid microsome) (5.5%). Only one patient had both anti-ovarian and anti-adrenal antibodies (4%). The comparison of androgen levels in POF patients with or without autoimmunity revealed a statistically significant reduction of DHEAS levels in POF patients with organ-specific autoimmunity (p < 0.01). These data reveal the reduction in androgen synthesis in POF patients, particularly in those with organ-specific autoimmunity.
