OBJECTIVE: To examine serum levels of inhibin A, inhibin B, and activin A in women with secondary hypergonadotropic or hypothalamic amenorrhea. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Universities of Udine, Pisa, and Modena in Italy, and of Wien in Austria. PATIENT(S): Forty women with idiopathic premature ovarian failure (POF), 23 women with hypogonadotropic hypothalamic amenorrhea, 40 healthy postmenopausal women, and 40 age-matched women with normal ovarian function (controls). INTERVENTION(S): Blood samples were collected between 8 and 9 AM. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Serum levels of inhibin A, inhibin B, and activin A. RESULT(S): Women with POF had lower concentrations of serum inhibin A and inhibin B than women with hypothalamic amenorrhea and fertile controls, and the difference between these concentrations was statistically significant. Levels of inhibin A and inhibin B were low in postmenopausal women and were no different than in women with POF. Serum levels of activin A were not significantly different among women with POF, fertile controls, and postmenopausal women. Women with hypogonadotropic hypothalamic amenorrhea had higher activin A values than did controls. No significant correlation was found between the level of inhibin A or inhibin B and the length of amenorrhea or the level of FSH. CONCLUSION(S): Low levels of circulating inhibins A and B, but not activin A, reflect ovarian failure in women with POF, whereas women with hypogonadotropic hypothalamic amenorrhea have normal levels of inhibins A and B and high levels of activin A.
OBJECTIVE: To examine serum levels of inhibin A, inhibin B, and activin A in women with secondary hypergonadotropic or hypothalamic amenorrhea. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Universities of Udine, Pisa, and Modena in Italy, and of Wien in Austria. PATIENT(S): Forty women with idiopathic premature ovarian failure (POF), 23 women with hypogonadotropic hypothalamic amenorrhea, 40 healthy postmenopausal women, and 40 age-matched women with normal ovarian function (controls). INTERVENTION(S): Blood samples were collected between 8 and 9 AM. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Serum levels of inhibin A, inhibin B, and activin A. RESULT(S): Women with POF had lower concentrations of serum inhibin A and inhibin B than women with hypothalamic amenorrhea and fertile controls, and the difference between these concentrations was statistically significant. Levels of inhibin A and inhibin B were low in postmenopausal women and were no different than in women with POF. Serum levels of activin A were not significantly different among women with POF, fertile controls, and postmenopausal women. Women with hypogonadotropic hypothalamic amenorrhea had higher activin A values than did controls. No significant correlation was found between the level of inhibin A or inhibin B and the length of amenorrhea or the level of FSH. CONCLUSION(S): Low levels of circulating inhibins A and B, but not activin A, reflect ovarian failure in women with POF, whereas women with hypogonadotropic hypothalamic amenorrhea have normal levels of inhibins A and B and high levels of activin A.
Authors: Vasiliki A Moragianni; Konstantinos N Aronis; John P Chamberland; Christos S Mantzoros Journal: J Clin Endocrinol Metab Date: 2011-09-14 Impact factor: 5.958
Authors: A Falorni; V Minarelli; C M Eads; C M Joachim; L Persani; R Rossetti; P Yurttas Beim; V A Pellegrini; P F Schnatz; S Rafique; K Kissell; K A Calis; V Popat; L M Nelson Journal: Panminerva Med Date: 2014-10-07 Impact factor: 5.197