Salivary testosterone measurement in women with and without polycystic ovary syndrome

Sathyapalan, Thozhukat; Al-Qaissi, Ahmed; Kilpatrick, Eric S.; Dargham, Soha R.; Adaway, Joanne; Keevil, Brian; Atkin, Stephen L.

Abstract

Clinical and/or biochemical hyperandrogenism is one of the diagnostic criteria for PCOS. An evaluation of the role of salivary testosterone (salT) and androstenedione (salA) for the diagnosis of PCOS was undertaken in a cross sectional study involving 65 women without PCOS and 110 women with PCOS fulfilling all 3 diagnostic Rotterdam criteria. Serum and salivary androgen measurements were determined by LC-MS/MS. salT and salA were significantly elevated in PCOS compared to controls (P<001). No androgen marker was more predictive than another using ROC curves, but multiple logistic regression suggested salT was more predictive than free androgen index (FAI)(p<0.01). The combination of salT or FAI identified 100% of PCOS women. PCOS women with both biochemical and clinical hyperandrogenism as opposed to clinical hyperandrogenism alone showed a metabolic phenotype (p<0.05) and insulin resistance(p<0.001). PCOS patients with an isolated elevated FAI showed increased insulin resistance compared to those with an isolated salT(P<0.05). salT appeared to be at least as predictive as FAI for the diagnosis of the classical PCOS phenotype, and the combination of salT or FAI identified 100% of PCOS patients. This suggests that salT measurement by LC-MS/MS holds the promise of complementing existing laboratory tests as a means of assessing hyperandrogenemia.

Citation

Sathyapalan, T., Al-Qaissi, A., Kilpatrick, E. S., Dargham, S. R., Adaway, J., Keevil, B., & Atkin, S. L. (2017). Salivary testosterone measurement in women with and without polycystic ovary syndrome. Scientific reports, 7(1), Article ARTN 3589. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-03945-w

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 5, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Jun 15, 2017
• Publication Date: Dec 1, 2017
• Deposit Date: May 11, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 15, 2017
• Journal: Scientific reports
• Print ISSN: 2045-2322
• Electronic ISSN: 2045-2322
• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 7
• Issue: 1
• Article Number: ARTN 3589
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-03945-w
• Keywords: Polycystic ovary syndrome, Testosterone
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/368776
• Publisher URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-03945-w
• Additional Information: Copy of article first published in: Scientific reports, 2017, v.7