Adrenal androgens function tests

Androgens Testosterone Testes, adrenals Sexual differentiation, fertility, secondary sex characteristics, sexual function, libido... 

This deficiency is rare and was first described by Bongiovanni in 1961 (B27) and later in greater detail (B31). It is always associated with salt loss, and, as treatment with corticosteroids has little beneficial effect, it is almost invariably fatal. Due to the severity of the enzyme block in the production of androgens by the testes in early embryonic life, incomplete function of the genital structures is frequent in male infants, whereas females may be slightly virilized, possibly due to excessive production of the weak androgen DHA. The enzyme 3j8-HSD has been shown to be absent from adrenal and testicular tissues obtained from infants with this disorder (G3). 

In men, 80% of testosterone is produced by the testes. In women, testosterone is produced by ovaries, the adrenals, and in peripheral tissue. Plasma testosterone is an indicator of endocrine testis function. It serves as marker for androgen-producing tumors or is elevated in female hirsutism. Mass-spectrometrically determined concentrations of plasma androstenedione in normal children and adolescents have been published by our group [49,50]. 

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