HOME HELP CONTACT US SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by MIYAZAKI, M. Articles by MATSUMOTO, K. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by MIYAZAKI, M. Articles by MATSUMOTO, K.

Departments of *Obstetrics and Gynecology and Dermatology and Institute for Cancer Research, Osaka University Medical School, Fukushima-ku, Osaka 553, Japan

(Received 23 February 1978)

Hirsutism is often seen in patients with polycystic ovaries and it has been suggested that it may be caused by excessive production of androgens or raised concentrations of androgens in the plasma (Kirschner & Bardin, 1972; Kuttenn, Mowszovicz, Schaison & Mauvais-Jarvis, 1977). Hirsutism may also be attributable to altered androgen metabolism in the skin since human skin and its appendages, such as sebaceous glands and hair follicles, are capable of converting testosterone to 17β-hydroxy-5-androstan-3-one (dihydrotestosterone, DHT) and are considered to be target tissues for androgens (Sansonne & Reisner, 1971; Takayasu & Adachi, 1972; Kuttenn & Mauvais-Jarvis, 1975).

In the present study, the concentration of testosterone in the plasma and the activity of 5-reductase in the hair follicles of seven patients with polycystic ovaries and definite hirsutism