HUMAN TESTOSTERONE-OESTRADIOL BINDING GLOBULIN IN HEALTH AND DISEASE

Levels of testosterone-oestradiol binding globulin (TeBG) were measured by a precipitation technique in terms of dihydrotestosterone-5α (DHT) binding capacity in children, adult males and females, pregnant and hirsute women and women with various trophoblastic disorders. It was found that TeBG levels in children of either sex (1.92 ± 0.16 μg DHT bound/100 ml serum) approached the normal female range (2.31 ± 0.11) and were distinctly higher than those of the adult male (1.04 ± 0.09). In both pregnancy and trophoblastic disease (hydatidiform mole and choriocarcinoma but not metastatic choriocarcinoma) TeBG levels were elevated (17.5 ± 0.70 and 14.9 ± 1.49, respectively). In hirsutism TeBG was depressed (1.17 ± 0.09) and comparable with the levels in normal male subjects. A number of other parameters, HCG, oestradiol-17β, testosterone and progesterone were measured and found to be similar to those previously reported in the literature. It appears that TeBG titre might provide an additional index in following the prognosis of trophoblastic disorders, besides HCG measurement.