[Influences of menopause and oophorectomy on sex steroids secretion and metacarpal bone mineral content].

The effects of menopause and oophorectomy (OPX) upon blood levels of sex steroid and bone mineral content were studied in age- and body size-matched postmenopausal subjects (n = 55), OPX subjects (n = 42) and premenopausal controls (n = 35). Blood levels of 17-OH-pregnenolone, 17-OH-progesterone and androstenedione were significantly lower in the OPX group than in the other two groups. For DHEA, DHEA-sulfate and testosterone, there were no significant intergroup differences. The blood level of estrone was the lowest in the OPX group, followed by the postmenopausal group (p less than 0.05). For estradiol, there was no difference between the two groups and its blood level was lower in these groups than in the controls. For LH and FSH, there were no differences between the former two groups, but blood levels were significantly high in these groups (p less than 0.01). Microdensitometric indices such as GS min and sigma GS/D were all low in postmenopausal and OPX groups in comparison with the controls (p less than 0.01). There were no considerable differences in these indices between the former groups. In conclusion, ovarian interstitial cells are still functioning and secrete androgens in short interval of three years after menopause, as known from higher blood levels of androgens and converted estrone in the postmenopausal group than in the OPX group. However, there was no significant difference between these two groups with regard to metacarpal bone mineral content.