Background: Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is expressed in many female tissues and its concentrations were higher in hirsute subjects. We aimed to determine serum PSA level in hirsute women and evaluate the effect of flutamide+desogestrel/ethynil estradiol combination.
Subjects and study design: Thirty patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and 30 healthy controls were studied. Hirsutism was defined by modified Ferriman-Gallwey score (FGS). Free androgen index (FAI) was used for hyperandrogenism. Patients received flutamide (500 mg/d) and oral contraceptive (desogestrel+ethinyl estradiol) for 9 months.
Results: Mean FGS (p<0.0001), insulin (p<0.01), FAI (0.0001), androstenedione (p<0.0001), LH (p<0.05), and free testosterone (p<0.003) levels of patients with PCOS were higher than the control group. Mean serum total and free PSA level of PCOS patients were higher than the control group (p<0.0001 and p<0.0001). We found a positive correlation between total PSA levels and FGS (r=0.568, p<0.001), FAI and FGS (r=0.456 and p<0.01). There was also a positive correlation between FAI and total PSA (r=0.503 and p<0.005). At the end of treatment, FGS, androstenedione, free and total testosterone, FAI, serum PSA and LH levels decreased significantly [serum total PSA was 0.0208 +/- 0.0178 ng/ml at baseline and 0.0061 +/- 0.0044 ng/ml after treatment (p<0.0001)].
Conclusions: 1. Serum prostate specific antigen level is higher in patients with PCOS; 2. There is a positive correlation among FGS, FAI and PSA levels; 3. Serum PSA levels decrease with antiandrogen treatment; 4. Serum PSA measurement might be a marker for hirsutism.