July - September 2007, Volume 3, Issue 3

Serpoi G, Cucu C

Fatty liver amplifies testosterone levels in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome

Acta Endo (Buc) 2007, 3 (3): 277-290
doi: 10.4183/aeb.2007.277

Many women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) also present with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) secondary to obesity and/or insulin resistance. Assuming that fatty liver, by inducing impairments in steroid metabolism might contribute to characteristic hyperandrogenemia in women with PCOS, we studied a group of 44 women with PCOS and a control group of 20 women matched according to age, waist circumference and body mass index. In PCOS group, serum testosterone was significantly higher when the degree of lipid infiltration of the liver (ultrasonographically assessed) was higher (1.34?0.14 ng/mL in steatotic PCOS group vs. 0.72+0.1 ng/ml in non-steatotic PCOS group, p=0.001). Our study offers an additional explanation for high testosterone levels in women with PCOS, implying liver in the pathogenic chain that leads to excess androgen.

Keywords: PCOS, NAFLD, fatty liver, steatosis, hyperandrogenemia, testosterone, metabolic syndrome

Correspondence: Gheorghe Serpoi, General Hospital CF2, Bucharest, Marasti 63 - 65, phone: +40 744669357, email: gserpoi@yahoo.com