Efficacy of metformin therapy in adolescent girls with androgen excess: relation to sex hormone–binding globulin and androgen receptor polymorphisms

• Published in: Fertility and sterility Vol. 94; no. 7; pp. 2800 - 2803.e1
• Main Authors: Díaz, Marta, López-Bermejo, Abel, Petry, Clive J., de Zegher, Francis, Ibáñez, Lourdes
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.12.2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; androgen receptor; Androgens - blood; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers, Pharmacological - analysis; Child; Female; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Hyperandrogenism - blood; Hyperandrogenism - complications; Hyperandrogenism - drug therapy; Hyperandrogenism - genetics; Hypoglycemic Agents - therapeutic use; insulin sensitivity; Internal Medicine; Medical sciences; metformin; Metformin - therapeutic use; Microsatellite Repeats - genetics; Microsatellite Repeats - physiology; Obstetrics and Gynecology; pharmacogenomics; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome - complications; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome - genetics; polymorphism; Polymorphism, Genetic - physiology; Puberty, Precocious - genetics; Receptors, Androgen - genetics; Sex hormone-binding globulin; Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin - genetics; Treatment Outcome; Trinucleotide Repeats - genetics; Trinucleotide Repeats - physiology; Sex hormone-binding globulin; insulin sensitivity; metformin; polymorphism; androgen receptor; pharmacogenomics; Human; Gynecology; Sex hormone binding protein; Androgen hormone; Insulin; Obstetrics; Hypoglycemic agent; Sensitivity; Biguanides; Treatment; Adolescent; Metformin; Child; Polymorphism; Hormonal receptor
• ISSN: 0015-0282; 1556-5653; 1556-5653
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2010.06.083

We studied the effects of the SHBG (TAAAA)n and androgen receptor gene [AR] (CAG)n allele length on endocrine-metabolic features and body composition (by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) before and after 1 year on metformin (850 mg/d) in 70 girls with polycystic ovary syndrome after precocious pubarche; allele lengths were assessed by polymerase chain reaction in both patients and in population control subjects (n = 107). Longer SHBG (TAAAA)n alleles (>8 repeats) were associated with more improvement of the lipid profile after 1 year on metformin, whereas longer AR (CAG)n alleles were related to more normalization of the androgen and lipid levels after therapy; longer alleles in both genes had an additive effect on the beneficial changes of SHBG, T, and lipids after metformin.