Endocrine and behavioral responses to psychological stress in hyperandrogenic women.

Stress has been implicated in the physiopathology of the ovarian androgenic syndrome. To explore further this notion, we compared the behavioral and endocrine responses to a mental stressor between women with hyperandrogenism (n = 13) and normals (n = 11). The standardized psychological stimulus produced higher levels of anxiety in the hyperandrogenic group than in controls. The endocrine (cortisol, prolactin, growth hormone, beta-endorphin) responses poststressor were definitely dissociated. Both groups showed a comparable anticipatory stress cortisol-secretion response. The cortisol release was greater following the mental stressor in the hyperandrogenic group than in the normals. Thus, hyperandrogenic women appear to have an abnormally affected pituitary-adrenal activation, which may play a role in the pituitary-ovarian disruption characteristic of the ovarian androgenic syndrome.