Evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of androgen measurement in polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and diagnostic meta-analysis to inform evidence-based guidelines
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Biochemical hyperandrogenism is a hallmark and diagnostic feature of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). However, the most accurate androgen measurement for assessing biochemical hyperandrogenism in PCOS diagnosis remains uncertain.
OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE
This systematic review aimed to assess different androgen measures [including total testosterone (TT), calculated free testosterone (cFT), free androgen index (FAI), androstenedione (A4), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), and dihydrotestosterone (DHT)] for accuracy in diagnosing biochemical hyperandrogenism in women with PCOS, to inform the 2023 International PCOS Evidence-based Guidelines.
SEARCH METHODS
To update evidence from the 2018 International PCOS Guidelines, a systematic search from 3 July 2017 to 23 June 2023 was conducted across Medline (Ovid), CINAHL, all EBM, EMBASE, and PsycInfo for articles evaluating androgens in the diagnosis of biochemical hyperandrogenism. The revised Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2) was used to assess the risk of bias and applicability. A diagnostic test accuracy meta-analysis was performed using STATA 18 software. Summary sensitivity and specificity were calculated with 95% CIs using the bivariate model, while the hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristics (ROC) model was used to produce a summary ROC curve.
OUTCOMES
Of 23 studies reviewed, 18 were included in the meta-analysis, with data from 2857 participants (1650 with PCOS and 1207 controls). For diagnosing biochemical hyperandrogenism in PCOS, the pooled sensitivity, specificity, and AUC with 95% CI were for TT: 0.74 (0.63–0.82), 0.86 (0.77–0.91), and 0.87 (0.84–0.90); cFT: 0.89 (0.69–0.96), 0.83 (0.79–0.86), and 0.85 (0.81–0.88); FAI: 0.78 (0.70–0.83), 0.85 (0.76–0.90), and 0.87 (0.84–0.90); A4: 0.75 (0.60–0.86), 0.71 (0.51–0.85), and 0.80 (0.76–0.83); and DHEAS: 0.75 (0.61–0.85), 0.67 (0.48–0.81), and 0.77 (0.73–0.81), respectively. In subgroup analyses, liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) had superior sensitivity for measuring cFT, FAI, A4, and DHEAS, and superior specificity for measuring TT, cFT, and FAI, compared to the direct immunoassay method.
WIDER IMPLICATIONS
Our results directly informed the 2023 International PCOS Guideline recommendations to use TT and FT as the first-line laboratory tests to assess biochemical hyperandrogenism in the diagnosis of PCOS. cFT should be assessed by equilibrium dialysis or ammonium sulfate precipitation, or calculated using FAI. If TT or cFT are not elevated, A4 and DHEAS could also be considered, noting their poorer specificity. Laboratories should utilize LC-MS/MS for androgen measurement given its high accuracy. Future studies should focus on establishing optimal normative cut-off values in large, unselected, and ethnically diverse cohorts of women.
REGISTRATION NUMBER
The review protocol was prepublished in the 2023 PCOS Guideline Technical Report (https://www.monash.edu/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/3379591/TechnicalReport-2023.pdf).
Biochemical hyperandrogenism is a hallmark and diagnostic feature of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). However, the most accurate androgen measurement for assessing biochemical hyperandrogenism in PCOS diagnosis remains uncertain.
OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE
This systematic review aimed to assess different androgen measures [including total testosterone (TT), calculated free testosterone (cFT), free androgen index (FAI), androstenedione (A4), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), and dihydrotestosterone (DHT)] for accuracy in diagnosing biochemical hyperandrogenism in women with PCOS, to inform the 2023 International PCOS Evidence-based Guidelines.
SEARCH METHODS
To update evidence from the 2018 International PCOS Guidelines, a systematic search from 3 July 2017 to 23 June 2023 was conducted across Medline (Ovid), CINAHL, all EBM, EMBASE, and PsycInfo for articles evaluating androgens in the diagnosis of biochemical hyperandrogenism. The revised Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2) was used to assess the risk of bias and applicability. A diagnostic test accuracy meta-analysis was performed using STATA 18 software. Summary sensitivity and specificity were calculated with 95% CIs using the bivariate model, while the hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristics (ROC) model was used to produce a summary ROC curve.
OUTCOMES
Of 23 studies reviewed, 18 were included in the meta-analysis, with data from 2857 participants (1650 with PCOS and 1207 controls). For diagnosing biochemical hyperandrogenism in PCOS, the pooled sensitivity, specificity, and AUC with 95% CI were for TT: 0.74 (0.63–0.82), 0.86 (0.77–0.91), and 0.87 (0.84–0.90); cFT: 0.89 (0.69–0.96), 0.83 (0.79–0.86), and 0.85 (0.81–0.88); FAI: 0.78 (0.70–0.83), 0.85 (0.76–0.90), and 0.87 (0.84–0.90); A4: 0.75 (0.60–0.86), 0.71 (0.51–0.85), and 0.80 (0.76–0.83); and DHEAS: 0.75 (0.61–0.85), 0.67 (0.48–0.81), and 0.77 (0.73–0.81), respectively. In subgroup analyses, liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) had superior sensitivity for measuring cFT, FAI, A4, and DHEAS, and superior specificity for measuring TT, cFT, and FAI, compared to the direct immunoassay method.
WIDER IMPLICATIONS
Our results directly informed the 2023 International PCOS Guideline recommendations to use TT and FT as the first-line laboratory tests to assess biochemical hyperandrogenism in the diagnosis of PCOS. cFT should be assessed by equilibrium dialysis or ammonium sulfate precipitation, or calculated using FAI. If TT or cFT are not elevated, A4 and DHEAS could also be considered, noting their poorer specificity. Laboratories should utilize LC-MS/MS for androgen measurement given its high accuracy. Future studies should focus on establishing optimal normative cut-off values in large, unselected, and ethnically diverse cohorts of women.
REGISTRATION NUMBER
The review protocol was prepublished in the 2023 PCOS Guideline Technical Report (https://www.monash.edu/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/3379591/TechnicalReport-2023.pdf).
Date Issued
2025-01-01
Date Acceptance
2024-09-01
Citation
Human Reproduction Update, 2025, 31 (1), pp.48-63
ISSN
1355-4786
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Start Page
48
End Page
63
Journal / Book Title
Human Reproduction Update
Volume
31
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by-nc/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. For commercial re-use, please contact journals.permissions@oup.com
License URL
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/39305127
PII: 7762932
Subjects
androgen
ANTIGEN PSA
CRITERIA
DEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONE
diagnostic accuracy
EXCESS
FREE TESTOSTERONE
hyperandrogenemia
HYPERANDROGENEMIA
hyperandrogenism
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Obstetrics & Gynecology
PCOS
PREVALENCE
Reproductive Biology
Science & Technology
sensitivity
specificity
TANDEM MASS-SPECTROMETRY
testosterone
WOMEN
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
England
Article Number
dmae028
Date Publish Online
2024-09-20