Sex hormone-binding globulin response to the anabolic steroid stanozolol: evidence for its suitability as a biological androgen sensitivity test.

J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1989 Jun;68(6):1195-200.

Sex hormone-binding globulin response to the anabolic steroid stanozolol:
evidence for its suitability as a biological androgen sensitivity test.

Sinnecker G, Köhler S.

Department of Pediatrics, University of Hamburg, West Germany.

Both the androgen-induced decline in serum sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG)
levels during puberty and the anabolic effect of exogenous testosterone are
absent in patients with androgen insensitivity (testicular feminization). To
determine whether the androgen-induced decline in serum SHBG could be used as a
test of androgen sensitivity, we studied the effect of the anabolic-androgenic
steroid stanozolol (17 beta-hydroxy-17 alpha-methyl-5
alpha-androstano-[3,2-c]pyrazol) on serum SHBG in 25 control subjects, 3 patients
with complete androgen insensitivity, and 4 patients with partial androgen
insensitivity. Stanozolol was administered orally for 3 days (0.2 mg/kg.day);
blood samples were taken before and 5, 6, 7, and 8 days after the beginning of
the test for measurements of serum SHBG. The lowest value (i.e. the peak
response) in each subject was used as the measure of the response to stanozolol.
In the control subjects the mean nadir serum SHBG level was 51.6 +/- 5.9% (+/-
SD) of the initial value (P less than 0.001). In the 4 patients with partial
androgen insensitivity the nadir serum SHBG ranged from 73-89%, and in the 3
patients with complete androgen insensitivity it ranged from 93-97% of the
initial value. Thus, the decrease in serum SHBG after short term administration
of stanozolol reflects androgen responsiveness and, thus, may be used to
differentiate patients with androgen insensitivity syndromes from those with
other causes of male pseudohermaphroditism.