OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical therapeutic effect of Rendu Tongtiao acupuncture (acupuncture for regulating and improving the circulation of the conception and governor vessels) on hyperandrogenism (HA) in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) with kidney-yin deficiency induced fire hyperactivity. METHODS: A total of 80 PCOS-HA patients were selected and randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 40 cases in each group. In the control group, ethinylestradiol and cyproterone acetate tablets were administered orally,2 mg each time, once daily and for 21 consecutive days as one menstrual cycle. In the observation group, Rendu Tongtiao acupuncture was delivered at Qihai (CV6), Zhongwan (CV12), Guanyuan (CV4), Zhongji (CV3), Mingmen (GV4), Yaoyangguan (GV3), etc. once daily till ovulation, which was taken as the treatment session of one menstrual cycle. The treatment was completed after 3 menstrual cycles in each group. Before and after treatment, the serum levels of testosterone (T), dihydrotestosterone (DHT), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), prolactin (PRL), sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and the scores of acne and hirsutism were compared in the two groups; besides, menstrual recovery rate, ovulation recovery rate, basic body temperature (BBT) biphasic rate and clinical effect were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Compared with those before treatment, the levels of T, DHT, LH and PRL, as well as the scores of acne and hirsutism were reduced in the two groups after treatment (P<0.05), and the levels of FSH and SHBG were increased (P<0.05). After treatment, the levels of T, DHT, LH and PRL, as well as the scores of acne and hirsutism in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05); and FSH and SHBG were higher (P<0.05). After treatment, the menstrual recovery rate and ovulation recovery rate, as well as BBT biphasic rate in the observation group increased in comparison with the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 97.5% (39/40) in the observation group, which was higher than 82.4% (33/40) of the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Rendu Tongtiao acupuncture can effectively regulate the secretion of hormones, alleviate the clinical symptoms of HA, and accelerate the recovery of menstruation and natural ovulation in patients with PCOS-HA of kidney-yin deficiency induced fire hyperactivity .
Humans ; Female ; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome/complications* ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Young Adult ; Hyperandrogenism/blood* ; Yin Deficiency/therapy* ; Kidney/physiopathology* ; Acupuncture Points ; Testosterone/blood* ; Luteinizing Hormone/blood* ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone/blood* ; Adolescent

This paper is aimed to analyze the correlation between serum free testosterone (FT) and total testosterone (TT) to acquire a cutoff about using total testosterone to diagnose hyperandrogenism in Chengdu females. We investigated 1854 women by cluster sampling method, detected their serum FT levels and TT levels, scored relative items, analyzed the correlation and made the ROC curve to get a cutoff of TT levels. Serum FT had a linear correlation with serum TT (r = 0.597, r2 = 0.356, P < 0.001). The cutoff value was 0.635 ng/mL. The specificity and sensitivity were 76.3% and 77.24%, respectively. No correlation found between serum FT and Ferriman-Gallway Score (P = 0.392). Positive correlations were seen between serum FT and Plewig-Kligman Score (r = 0.137, P < 0.001), serum TT and Ferriman-Gallway Score (r = 0.069, P = 0.003) and serum TT and Plewig-Kligman Score (r = 0.092, P < 0.001). There is a linear correlation between serum FT and TT. We can diagnose hyperandrogenism according to the serum TT cutoff value (0.635 ng/mL). Its clinical symptoms are not paralleled with the biochemical test results.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; China ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperandrogenism ; blood ; Middle Aged ; Reference Values ; Sampling Studies ; Testosterone ; blood ; Young Adult

Adolescent ; Amenorrhea ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Androgen Antagonists ; pharmacology ; Androgens ; blood ; Contraceptive Agents ; pharmacology ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperandrogenism ; complications ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Insulin Resistance ; Luteinizing Hormone ; blood ; Menstruation Disturbances ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Obesity ; complications ; Ovary ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome ; diagnosis ; etiology ; therapy ; Ultrasonography ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo determine whether the increased level of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) could be used as a diagnostic marker of hyperandrogenism in women.

METHODSForty-five female patients with hyperandrogenism and 50 healthy control women were detected for the levels of serum PSA, testosterone (T), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S). The results were statistically analyzed.

RESULTSThe level of serum PSA was found to be significantly higher in the hyperandrogenism patients than in the healthy controls (9.72 +/- 1.39 pg/ml vs 3.56 +/- 0.44 pg/ml, P < 0.01), and it showed a weak positive correlation with T (r = 0.226, P < 0.05) and DHEA-S (r = 0.255, P < 0.05), and a weak negative correlation with SHBG (r = -0,228, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe increased level of PSA could be used as a diagnostic marker of hyperandrogenism in females.

Adult ; Body Mass Index ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperandrogenism ; blood ; diagnosis ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; blood ; Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by chronic anovulation and hyperandrogenism and this malady arises in 5~10% of reproductive women. There may be significant ethnic and racial variations in the clinical presentation of PCOS. The current study is aimed to define the clinical characteristics, including the metabolic features, of Korean women with PCOS. METHODS: We recruited 156 patients with PCOS and 252 healthy regular cycling women as controls between March 2003 and May 2006. The diagnosis of PCOS was made according to the criteria of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in 2003. The anthropometric measurements including weight, height, waist circumference, and physical examination for the modified Ferriman-Gallwey hirsutism scoring scale were performed. Reproductive hormones, blood lipids and standard 75g oral glucose tolerance tests were done to assess glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. RESULTS: Twenty six percent of the women with PCOS were obese and 6.4% of them had hirsutism. One of the 156 women (0.6%) with PCOS was newly diagnosed with diabetes mellitus and 25 of them (16.0%) had impaired glucose tolerance. The triglyceride levels and plasma glucose levels at 0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 minute and the plasma insulin levels at 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes after initiating the oral glucose tolerance test in women with PCOS were significantly higher compared to those values for the controls. The HOMA-IR was significantly higher in the women with PCOS compared to the controls, even after adjusting for age and the body mass index. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity and clinical hyperandrogenism were not frequent in Korean women with PCOS, but this population did display distinct insulin resistance.
Anovulation ; Blood Glucose ; Body Mass Index ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diagnosis ; Embryology ; Female ; Glucose ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Hirsutism ; Humans ; Hyperandrogenism ; Insulin ; Insulin Resistance ; Obesity ; Physical Examination ; Plasma ; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome* ; Reproduction ; Triglycerides ; Waist Circumference