Assays / Hormones / Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (serum)

Clinical Use
To assess whether there are alterations in serum sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) concentrations in clinical circumstances where total testosterone concentrations may be misleading, e.g. hirsute women with normal serum testosterone concentrations.

The test is not indicated in those hirsute women with elevated serum testosterone concentrations and seldom in men. Sex hormone binding globulin has affinity for 17b-hydroxysteroids and regulates the proportions of these steroids in serum which are not bound to protein. The combination of normal testosterone and diminished SHBG concentrations in serum may result in an increased proportion of non-protein bound (biologically available) testosterone which may explain the development of hirsutes.

Patient Preparation
None. Take blood (5 mL) into a syringe or red topped vacutainer.

Sample Preparation
Send serum (2 mL to Leeds or 0.5 mL to the other centres) and send to the SAS laboratory.

Reference Range

Pre-menopausal females: 40 - 110 nmol/L.

Centres offering this assay
Leeds, London (St. Thomas').

References
Anderson DC. Sex-hormone-binding globulin. Clin Endocrinol 1974; 3: 69-96.

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