Endocrine Abstracts

In presence of androgen gene mutation, leading to androgen insensitivity because of an impaired regulatory mechanism of the gonadotropin–androgen axis, both LH and T in serum may be elevated, leading to a distinctively high value of the LH×T multiplication product, which has been termed as the androgen sensitivity index (ASI). The aim of our present study was to investigate a cohort of young males for impaired ASI. One hundred and seventy-seven nearly healthy post-pubertal boys at the age of 16 up to 26 years old, permanently living on the territory of the Republic of Belarus (53- in Stolin region and 124 in Minsk), were examined to evaluate their physical, sexual and hormonal state (TSH, FSH, T, free T, PRL, SHBH, E₂). ASI has been calculated according to the standard formula, the normal range reported by Hiort et al., ranging from 1.930–39.970 ng IU/l² (mean, 15.590 ng IU/l²), was used for comparison. Stolin region has been contaminated after the Chernobyl catastrophe in 1984, till now high radioactivity levels are registered there. Elevated ASI index (>39.970 ng IU/l²) has been determined in 25.4% (45/177) of all examined, in Minsk region it has been elevated only in 12.1% (15/124) and in Stolin region in 56.6% (30/53).

Conclusion: Further studying, including molecular genetics analyses should be done in order to prove presence of androgen receptor gene mutation and it’s spontaneous, radiation induced genesis. But significant difference in frequency of impaired ASI in two compared regions allows us to suspect possible radioactive influence.