Abstract
Resistance to the action of androgens is the most common cause of male pseudohermaphroditism (PHM). Partial androgen resistance is characterized by varying degrees of ambiguous genitalia and the risk of virilization during puberty. The differentiation from other forms of PHM can be difficult. Attempts have been made to use biologic responses to exogenous testosterone as a test for androgen sensitivity, bearing the risk of undesired virilization of the phenotypically female infant. Androgens are known to suppress SHBG. Since in the testicular feminization syndrome not only the androgenic, but also the anabolic response is abolished, we investigated the effect of the anabolic steroid stanozolol on the SHBG-levels in plasma. Stanozolol was administered orally during 10 days ( 0.2 mg/kg up to max. 10 mg/dose) to 9 control subjects, 2 patients with complete and 3 patients with incomplete androgen insensivity. In the control subjects the SHBG-levels decreased dramatically irrespective of sex and age: 51.7% ± 3.5 (SD) of the initial values after 7 days, 39.6% after 10 days and 31.9% ± 7.0 (SD) after two weeks. In the patients with complete androgen insensivity the SHBG-levels remained unchanged, the moderate decrease in partial resistance was significantly different from the controls. Clinical effects or side effects of the stanozolol medication were not noted. We conclude that the detection of the SHBG-decrease following anabolic steroid administration seems to be a reliable, safe and simple test of androgen sensitivity.
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Sinnecker, G., Köhler, S. SEX HORMONE BINDING GLOBULIN RESPONSE TO THE ANABOLIC STEROID STANOZOLOL. PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE FOR IT'S SUITABILITY AS A BIOLOGICAL ANDROGEN SENSITIVITY TEST. Pediatr Res 23, 131 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198801000-00182
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198801000-00182
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