Steroid content in endometrial tissue.

In the human endometrium, the role of C19 steroids is at present unclear. Radioimmunoassays (RIA) were developed which had sufficient specificity and accuracy to measure testosterone, 5 alpha-dihydroxytestosterone (5 alpha-DHT), oestradiol, progesterone and androstenedione in endometrial samples. Amounts of androstenedione were greater (range 1.2-20.8 ng/mg tissue) than other steroids. Samples were obtained from patients presenting conditions such as subfertility, postmenopausal bleeding, dysfunctional uterine bleeding and abdominal pain. Patients used as normals were admitted for sterilisation. A significant positive correlation (r = 0.80) was found between the levels of testosterone and 5 alpha-reductase system. No relationship was observed in tissue steroid concentration and age of the patients. Steroid concentrations were found to be high in tissue obtained from patients with endometrial carcinomas whereas progesterone concentration being low in subfertiles.