Endocrine Abstracts

The measurement of androgens is critical for the diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) but it has been difficult based on poor specificity and sensitivity of assays in the female range. The direct total androgen activity can be measured with dihydrotestosterone equivalent concentration (DEQ) using chemically activated luciferase gene expression (CALUX) bioassays. The aim of the study is to determine whether DEQ levels can be the index for hyperandrogenemia to be requir...

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) constitutes the most common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age. Recently, the potential influence of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on the development of PCOS has been suggested. The aim of the present study is to determine whether dihydrotestosterone equivalent concentration (DEQ) representing total androgenic activities including androgen derivatives from EDCs measured by chemically activated luciferase gene ex...