Authors

Rana F. Shayya, M.D., Marcus A. Rosencrantz, M.D., Sandy S. Chuan, M.D., Heidi Cook-Andersen, M.D., Ph.D., William E. Roudebush, Ph.D., H. I. Su, M.D., M.S.E.C., Shunichi Shimasaki, Ph.D., R. J. Chang, M.D.

Volume 101, Issue 1, Pages 275-279, January 2014

Abstract

Objective:

To determine whether granulosa cells contribute to excess androgen production, by assessing inhibin B (Inh B) responses to hCG in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and in normal women.

Design:

Prospective study.

Setting:

Academic medical center.

Patient(s):

Twenty women with PCOS and 16 normal women.

Intervention(s):

Blood samples obtained before and 24 hours after injection of 25 μg recombinant hCG (r-hCG).

Main Outcome Measure(s):

Basal and stimulated Inh B, E2, androstenedione (A), and T responses after r-hCG administration.

Result(s):

In normal and PCOS women, r-hCG induced a significant reduction of Inh B levels. Lowered Inh B responses were not related to body mass index, PCOS status, or age by multivariate regression. Recombinant hCG significantly increased serum A and E2 in both normal and PCOS women.

Conclusion(s):

In normal and PCOS women, Inh B production was decreased following r-hCG administration. These findings strongly suggest that in PCOS women androgen excess is not enhanced by LH-stimulated Inh B production.

Clinical Trial Registration Number:

NCT00747617.

Read the full text at: http://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(13)03111-7/fulltext