Androstenedione concentrations following dexamethasone suppression: correlation with clomiphene responsiveness in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

It is difficult to predict clomiphene responsiveness in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) but it has been suggested that women with evidence of excess adrenal androgen are less likely to respond to clomiphene. To investigate this further we performed a short Synacthen test following overnight dexamethasone suppression, using 11 beta-hydroxyandrostenedione (11-OHA) as a specific marker of adrenal androgen secretion in women with anovulatory infertility due to PCOS (n = 19) compared with a normal group (n = 7). Women with PCOS were subsequently divided into 2 groups according to whether or not they ovulated after clomiphene. On day 1 blood was taken at 9.00 hours for measurement of androstenedione (A), 11-OHA and cortisol, and 1 mg dexamethasone was given at 22.00 hours. On day 2 blood was taken at 9.00 hours and at 30 and 60 minutes after intravenous administration of 250 micrograms Synacthen. Before dexamethasone was given, concentrations of A but not of 11-OHA or cortisol were significantly higher in women with PCOS than in controls but there was no difference in A levels between clomiphene responders and non-responders. After 1 mg dexamethasone had been given, concentrations of A, 11-OHA and cortisol were suppressed in all 3 groups and there were no differences between the groups in the post-dexamethasone concentrations of 11-OHA or cortisol.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)