ESPE Abstracts

Background: As metabolic complication and polycystic ovarian syndrome due to childhood obesity is rising, the role of hyperandrogenemia (HA) and hyperinsulinism is receiving attention.

Objective and hypotheses: The aim of this study was to investigate the presence or absence of obvious HA according to pubertal status and to find potential etiologic determinants of HA in Korean obese girls.

Method: We analysed 91 subjects aged 6–17 years (prepuberty, n=54; puberty, n=37). Each girl was classified as being either normal weight (NW) or obese (OB) according to Korean growth standard. Blood test was performed early in the morning after at least 8 h of fasting to measure glucose, insulin, androgens, gonadotropins, and sex hormones.

Results: Hyperinsulinaemia and high homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) values were found regardless of pubertal status in OB girls. The plasma levels of free testosterone (FT) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) were markedly higher in OB girls compared to NW girls in puberty (FT, P=0.018; DHEAS, P=0.060) but not in prepuberty (FT, P=0.127; DHEAS, P=0.180). The significant related factor to HA in puberty was the body mass index z-score (P=0.002) and progesterone level (P=0.003). But HOMA-IR, luteinising hormone levels were not relevant to HA in pubertal girls.

Conclusion: Since OB pubertal girls had HA, further follow-up is mandatory to see the metabolic and reproductive consequences and to determine whether weight control is the important factor for prevention of HA-related complications. And OB prepubertal girls did not show HA in the present study but they should be regularly monitored because they already had hyperinsulinaemia.