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. 2016 Jul;106(1):50-55.
doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2016.03.029. Epub 2016 Apr 1.

Increased antimüllerian hormone levels and other reproductive endocrine changes in adult male relatives of women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Laura C Torchen  1 , Ajay Kumar  2 , Bhanu Kalra  2 , Gopal Savjani  2 , Ryan Sisk  3 , Richard S Legro  4 , Andrea Dunaif  5
Affiliations

Increased antimüllerian hormone levels and other reproductive endocrine changes in adult male relatives of women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Laura C Torchen et al. Fertil Steril. 2016 Jul.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate for differences in reproductive hormone levels in male relatives of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Academic medical center.

Patient(s): Sixty-three fathers and 66 brothers of women with PCOS as well as two groups of control men of comparable age to fathers (older control, n = 30) and brothers (younger control, n = 58).

Intervention(s): A single early morning fasting blood sample was obtained for the measurement of reproductive hormone levels.

Main outcome measure(s): Testosterone, LH, FSH, antimüllerian hormone (AMH), inhibin B, estradiol (E2), and estrone (E1) levels were measured.

Result(s): The AMH, LH, and FSH levels were significantly increased in male relatives compared with their respective control groups. The levels of E2, E1, T, and inhibin B did not differ between the groups.

Conclusion(s): The AMH, LH, and FSH levels were increased in adult male relatives of women with PCOS, suggesting that they may have altered testicular function and changes in neuroendocrine regulation of gonadotropin secretion. These changes may reflect effects of PCOS susceptibility genes such as the recently mapped chromosome 11p14.1 locus in the region of the FSH B polypeptide gene.

Keywords: Polycystic ovary syndrome; antimüllerian hormone; first degree relatives; gonadotropins.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Basal gonadotropin and Sertoli cell hormones in male PCOS relatives
Adult PCOS fathers and brothers had higher LH levels compared to their respective control groups (upper left panel, p=0.01 brothers, p=0.01 fathers, Wilcoxon). Adult male relatives also had higher FSH levels compared to control men (upper right panel, status p=0.003). The PCOS relatives had higher AMH levels compared to control men (lower left panel, status p=0.01). Inhibin B levels did not differ between male relatives and control men (lower right panel, status p=0.22). Differences in FSH, inhibin B, and AMH were assessed by 2-way ANOVA with age group (age) and PCOS relative/control status (status) as factors. Median and intra-quartile range plotted for LH and mean and SEM plotted for FSH, AMH, and inhibin B.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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