Most commonly, the test is used to diagnose and monitor the treatment of women with symptoms of high androgen levels, which occurs, for example, with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or idiopathic hirsutism.
SHBG (sex hormone-binding globulin) is a plasma protein that binds androgens (male sex hormones) and estrogens (female sex hormones). It is produced by liver cells, and its levels depend on the levels of androgens and estradiol in the blood.
When should you take the Sex Hormone Binding Protein - SHBG test?
The test is ordered by a doctor-usually a gynecologist-obstetrician or endocrinologist.
The test is used to:
- monitoring hormone and anti-androgen therapy
- diagnosing pubertal disorders
- diagnosing and controlling patients with mental anorexia (anorexia)
- in the diagnosis of thyrotoxicosis. In thyrotoxicosis, SHBG is used as a tissue marker (indicator) for elevated thyroid hormone levels.
The test is also useful in diagnosing and monitoring insulin resistance, controlling cardiovascular risk and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, especially in women. It is also used to assess the level of free testosterone in men.
Sex hormone binding protein (SHBG) results
Many conditions characterized by varying levels of androgen excess, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), are associated with reduced SHBG levels. Many of these women also suffer from obesity and insulin resistance. In such a situation, in addition to testing the concentrations of this protein, a number of other tests are performed to assess the overall condition of these patients.
Levels of this indicator are also used to evaluate anti-androgen or estrogen therapy, where an increase in SHBG levels indicates treatment success. In androgen treatment, a decrease in SHBG levels is a sign of appropriate and successful treatment.
The SHBG level is also used to assess the success of treatment.
SHBG levels are also high in patients with mental anorexia (anorexia), as well as in patients with excessively high levels of thyroid hormones. This protein is also produced by placental tissue during pregnancy, so a change in its levels during pregnancy is a natural phenomenon.
Low levels of sex hormone-binding globulin can be a precursor to progressive insulin resistance, cardiovascular complications and progression to type 2 diabetes, especially in women who suffered from gestational diabetes (that is, which occurred only during pregnancy).
This indicator is also used to diagnose abnormalities in early adolescence in boys and girls. It is part of a more complex, comprehensive examination to detect pubertal pathologies and search for their cause.
It is also used in the diagnosis of early puberty
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