1984 Volume 75 Issue 9 Pages 1467-1472
The frequency of androgen insensitivity in infertile phenotypically normal men was assessed from the hormonal levels in blood. Androgen insensitivity was presumed to be present if androgen insensitivity index {LH (mIU/ml)×testosterone (ng/ml)} was over 200. Nine azoospermic men out of 90 azoospermias (10%) were thought to be with androgen insensitivity. Androgen insensitivity was not found in 22 cases of severe oligozoospermias. Therefore, the frequency was 8% in azoospermias plus severe oligozoospermias. Since the androgen insensitivity index is said to identify only 30% of infertile men with a reduced androgen binding capacity in scrotal skin fibroblasts, these figures will become 30% and 24%, respectively.
To see the propriety of diagnosing the androgen insensitivity from androgen insensitivity index, this index was calculated in Klinefelter's syndrome. In 4 cases out of 23, the index was over 200. The androgen insensitivity index was compared among the groups of azoospermia, severe oligazoospermia, oligozoospermia, normozoospermia, and Klinefelter's syndrome. The index increased when the disturbance of spermatogenesis advanced. Furthermore, there was no clear cut differences in LH and testosterone between the groups of androgen insensitivity index over 200 and under 200. The implicaiion of these results is that elevation of androgen insensitivity index does not necessarily indicate an androgen insensitivity.
