Androgen deficiency in women and possibilities for its hormonal diagnostics
The authors describe the distribution patterns of free testosterone concentrations in the saliva of women who previously underwent ovariectomy, in postmenopausal women, in those presenting with clinical signs of hyperandrogenism, and in healthy women in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. The level of salivary free testosterone in postmenopausal women and after ovariectomy was lower than in younger premenopausal patients. Women with clinical signs of hyperandrogenism showed higher free testosterone levels than the age-matched young healthy subjects. The salivary free testosterone levels in 60-75% of the ovariectomzed, postmenopausal, and hyperandogenic women remained within their normal range in young healthy women. It is concluded that high analytical sensitivity of the chemiluminescent method for the measurement of free testosterone in the saliva makes possible its application to the screening for androgen status of the women at risk of testosterone deficiency.