[Radio-immunological determination of testosterone and of sexual hormone binding globulin in plasma of women with hirsutism (author's transl)].

Plasma-borne testosterone was determined in 176 women with hirsutism, and in 47 patients sexual hormone binding globulin was determined as well. The highest average testostercne values were recorded from cases with congenital AGS. In cases of postnatal AGS values were much lower, but they were clearly in excess of those recordable from Stein-Leventhal syndrome. Plasmaborne testosterone in cases of hirustism came very close to testosterone levels established in the context of Stein-Leventhal syndrome. Testosterone levels dropped with significance, following AGS treatment, using cortisol derivatives, and following wedge-shaped ovariectomy. Sexual hormone binding globulin was found to be strongly reduced in almost all women with hirsutism. Such reduction seemed to suggest the presence of increased amounts of free active testosterone in the blood of those patients. Determination of plasma-borne testosterone in cases of hirsutism is considered to be essential to both diagnosis of the endocrinological syndromes and monitoring of therapy.