Description:
Measurement of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-SO4) ,an adrenal steroid, is important in the investigation of abnormal hair growth (hirsutism) and balding (alopecia) in women. The DHEA-SO4 in circulation originates almost entirely from the adrenals, though in men some many derive from the testes, partly accounting for the sex difference which emerges at about age 15. On the other hand, this hormone is not produced by the ovaries even under pathological conditions. In itself, DHEA-SO4 is only weakly androgenic, but can metabolise to more potent androgens like androstenedione and testosterone, and thus be indirectly a cause of hirsutism or virilization. Plasma levels of DHEA-SO4 increase steadily from about the seventh year of life, then gradually decline after the third decade.