Also known as: DHEA-SO4, DHEA sulfate
Name: Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate
Related tests: Testosterone
Why is the test done?
To find out whether the DHEAS concentration is normal; it helps assess adrenal gland function.
When is the test done?
When a woman has excess facial hair (hirsutism), acne or amenorrhoea, or is infertile; when a boy goes through very early puberty or a girl shows signs of virilisation.
What samples are required?
A blood sample taken from a vein.
What is being analysed?
Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) is an androgen, a male hormone present in the blood of both men and women. In males it plays a role in the development of the sexual and secondary sexual characteristics of puberty; it can be metabolised into more potent androgens, such as testosterone and androstenedione, or converted into oestrogens (female hormones). DHEAS is produced by the adrenal cortex, the outer layer of the adrenal glands; a small amount is produced by the ovaries in women and the testicles in men. DHEAS production is controlled by pituitary adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) and other pituitary factors.
Since DHEAS is produced mainly by the adrenal glands, it is useful as a marker of adrenal function. Adrenal tumours and hyperplasia can lead to overproduction of DHEAS. High levels cause no obvious signs in adult men, but in women they can lead to amenorrhoea and visible signs of virilisation. These changes vary in severity and can include:
hirsutism,
a deeper voice,
baldness,
increased muscularity,
acne,
an enlarged Adam’s apple. Excess DHEAS in children can cause early puberty and, in girls, “ambiguous” external genitals, excess hair and abnormal menstrual cycles.
How is it used?
When is it requested?
What does the result mean?
Is there anything else I should know?
How is it used?
DHEAS levels are not measured routinely. Unless your symptoms suggest it, you are very unlikely to need this test. DHEAS, testosterone and several other androgens are used to assess adrenal function and to distinguish androgen secretion by the adrenal glands from that originating in the ovaries or testicles. DHEAS may be measured to help diagnose adrenocortical tumours (tumours in the cortex of the adrenal gland), adrenal cancer and adrenal hyperplasia (which may be congenital or adult-onset), and to distinguish these conditions from ovarian tumours and cancers.
DHEAS concentrations are often measured, together with other hormones such as FSH, LH, prolactin, oestrogens and testosterone, to help diagnose polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and to rule out other causes of infertility, amenorrhoea and hirsutism.
DHEAS may be requested, together with other hormones, to investigate and diagnose the cause of virilisation in young girls and early puberty in boys.
When is it requested?
DHEAS may be requested, with other hormone tests, whenever excess (or, more rarely, deficient) androgen production is suspected, and/or when adrenal gland function needs to be assessed.
It may be measured when a woman has symptoms such as hirsutism, hair loss, amenorrhoea, infertility, acne, increased muscularity and reduced breast size. It may also be requested when a young girl shows signs of virilisation, such as hirsutism or a deep voice, or when a baby girl has “ambiguous” genitals, with an overdeveloped clitoris but internal female organs that usually appear normal.
DHEAS may also be measured when young boys show signs of early puberty: a deeper voice, pubic hair, increased muscularity and a well-developed penis before the normal age of puberty.
What does the result mean?
Low DHEAS levels may be due to adrenal dysfunction or hypopituitarism, a condition that lowers the levels of the pituitary hormones that regulate the production and release of adrenal hormones. Normal DHEAS levels, together with other normal androgen levels, may indicate that the adrenal gland is working normally or (more rarely) that an adrenal tumour is not producing hormones. Normal DHEAS levels can be seen with PCOS, as this disorder is usually linked to androgen production by the ovaries (mainly testosterone).
High DHEAS levels may indicate an adrenocortical tumour, adrenal cancer or adrenal hyperplasia. Raised DHEAS levels are not diagnostic of a specific condition; they usually indicate the need for further tests to find the cause of the hormone imbalance.
Is there anything else I should know?
DHEAS levels are normally high in newborn boys and girls. They fall sharply after birth, then rise again during puberty. DHEAS concentrations increase after puberty and, in men as with female hormones, levels tend to fall with age. People who take DHEA will have high DHEAS levels in their blood
1. Why does the DHEAS blood sample not need to be taken in the morning?
2. Does everyone with high DHEAS have symptoms?
1. Why does the DHEAS blood sample not need to be taken in the morning?
Some hormones are higher in the morning, while others rise and fall during the day. Some are released continuously, or with increased activity or in response to stress. Some hormones are higher on certain days of the month and others are relatively stable. Blood samples for hormone tests are often timed to catch their highest or lowest levels. DHEAS concentrations, however, are stable, so the sample can be taken at any time of day or month without affecting the result.
2. Does everyone with high DHEAS have symptoms?
Not necessarily. It can be difficult to tell when adult men have high DHEAS levels (as they already have male sexual and secondary sexual characteristics), and women of some ethnic groups (for example Asian women) may have high testosterone and DHEAS levels without obvious symptoms such as excess hair growth or acne. It should also be noted that the presence and severity of symptoms will vary from person to person