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- Steroid hormone levels in postmenopausal hysterectomised women with and without ovarian conservation: the continuous endocrine function of the ovariesPublication . Nunes, Elsa; Gallardo, Eugenia; Nunes, Sara; Moutinho, José FonsecaThis study aims to clarify the effect of postmenopausal bilateral oophorectomy on plasma steroid hormone levels. Women who were submitted in the postmenopausal period to hysterectomy for uterine benign conditions were divided into two groups: 18 women had isolated hysterectomy and 11 had hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. In both groups serum hormone levels were quantified by solid phase extraction and gas chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. Differences in dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), testosterone, androstenedione and oestradiol were determined in both groups. The analysis revealed lower steroid levels in the bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy group when compared to the isolated hysterectomy group with statistically significant differences found for DHEA (5.8 ± 3.2 vs. 9.4 ± 4.4 ng/mL; p ¼ 0.019) and oestradiol (0.69 ± 0.4 vs. 1.48 ± 4.3 ng/mL; p ¼ 0.007). The results are consistent with a significant endocrine activity of the postmenopausal ovary. The clinical consequences of these findings need to be clarified and postmenopausal prophylactic bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy re-evaluated.
- Steroid hormone levels and bone mineral density in women over 65 years of agePublication . Nunes, Elsa; Gallardo, Eugenia; Nunes, Sara; Moutinho, José FonsecaPrevious studies using immunoassays for steroid measurements have focused on the association between steroid hormone levels and bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women, obtaining contradictory results. This study aimed to assess this association using a highly sensitive bioanalytical method. A total of 68 postmenopausal women, aged 65–89 years, were enrolled in a crosssectional study. Measurements of the BMD of the hip and lumbar spine were performed using dual energy Xray absorptiometry, and serum hormone levels were quantifed by gas chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. Associations between estradiol (E2), testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), androstenedione and T score levels of the hip and lumbar spine were evaluated, after adjustment for confounding variables. The analysis revealed a statistically signifcant association between testosterone and the T score of the hip (p= 0.035), but not that of the lumbar spine. No statistically signifcant associations were found between E2, DHEA, androstenedione and the T scores of the hip and the lumbar spine. Using a highly sensitive hormone assay method, our study identifed a signifcant association between testosterone and BMD of the hip in women over 65 years of age, suggesting that lower testosterone increases the risk of osteoporosis.