Testosterone free index correlates best with dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate

Correlation coefficients for dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) were determined in women on menotropin. DHEAS was significantly correlated with testosterone free index (TFI), 0.78**;percentage free testosterone (%FT), 0.66**; androstenedione (Δ4A), 0.66*; luteinizing hormone (LH), 0.55**; LH/follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) ratio, 0.55**; 17-OH-progesterone (17-P), 0.55**; testosterone (T), 0.53**; weight (WT), 0.40**; urinary estriol glucuronide (E3G), 0.33*; and free cortisol index (FFI), 0.32*, with 43 df but not with prolactin (PRL), 025. Normal male DHEAS (3.5 ± 12, 25) (μg/ml: mean ± standard deviation, n) was higher than normal female DHEAS (2.4 ± 1.1, 27), P < 0.01 and DHEAS in women on oral contraceptives (1.9 ± 1.1, 17) was slightly lower than in normal females, P > 0.2. In the combined population (male, female, and females on oral contraceptives) DHEAS was correlated with TFI (0.56**), T (0.54**), %FT (0.52**), Δ4A (0.40**), and age (–0.40**) with 66 df and 17-P (0.30*) with 54 df. TFI appears to be one determinant of plasma DHEAS. **P < 0.01. *P < 0.05.