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Departments of Endocrinology (V.A., J.P.B., M.H.H.) and Histology, Embryology, and Cytogenetics (V.A., J.A.), University of Bretagne Ocridentak, Brest; and the Fondation de Recherche en Hormonobgie (K.N.) Fresnes, France
Address requests for reprints to: Dr. V. Amice, Laboratoire dHistologie, Embryologie et Cytogénétique, Faculté de Médecine, 22 avenue Camille Desmoulins, 29285 Brest Cedex, France.
To investigate a possible relationship between lymphocyte H-Y antigen expression and plasma androgen concentrations in hirsute women, 27 hirsute women were studied. A significant increase in the percentage of H-Y-positive lymphocytes was found in both hirsute women with idiopathic hirsutism [13.4 ± 2.9% (±SD); n = 15] and hirsute women with the polycystic ovary syndrome (13.0 ± 2.8%; n = 12)compared to that in normal women (10.0 ± 1.9%; n = 30; P< 0.0005). Plasma testosterone and androstenedione concentrations, % H-Y+ lymphocytes, and hirsutism scores diminished during oralcyproterone acetate (50 mg/day)and percutaneous estradiol (3 mg/day) treatment. Significant correlations between % H-Y+ lymphocytes and hirsutism scores (P < 0.001), % H-Y+ lymphocytes and plasma T concentrations (P < 0.01) were found. We conclude that 1) women can produce H-Y antigen in the same way as men; 2) hirsutism is associated with an increase in H-Y antigen; and 3) the antiandrogen cyproterone acetate reduces H-Y antigen expression on lymphocytes.
* This work was supported in part by the University of Bretagne Occidentale (Grant HID40).
Received November 30, 1987.
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