Abstract
Anti-Müllerian hormone: correlation with testosterone and oligo- or amenorrhoea in female adolescence in a population-based cohort study
Pinola P, Morin-Papunen LC, Bloigu A, et al.
Hum Reprod 2014; 29: 2317–2325
Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is expressed in developing ovarian follicles. Levels correlate with antral follicle count and thus are higher in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). The main aim of this study was to evaluate whether AMH measured at age 16 years could predict a future diagnosis of PCOS.
AMH, testosterone (T) and metabolic markers were determined in 400 Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 patients at age 16 years. Subjects were then stratified into quartiles of serum T. Questionnaires at 16 and 26 years collected data on signs/symptoms, or a formal diagnosis of PCOS.
At 16 years, AMH correlated positively with T, with significance at the highest T quartile only. Girls with oligo- or amenorrhoea had significantly higher AMH than those reporting normal cycles. Women with PCOS at 26 years had significantly higher AMH levels at 16 years. At an AMH cut-off of 22.5 pmol/L, sensitivity for predicting PCOS was 85.7%; however specificity was 37.5%. There were no significant associations between AMH and metabolic parameters or degree of hirsutism.
This study shows that although increased AMH levels measured in adolescence are associated with hyperandrogenism and/or oligo- or amenorrhoea, it is not useful for predicting a future diagnosis of PCOS.