DHEA Sulfate, Immunoassay

Brief Description: DHEA Sulfate is a blood test that is measuring the levels of Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate in the blood. It is often used to diagnose any problems in the adrenal glands such as cancer or a tumor. It can also be used to evaluate the cause of early puberty in young boys and male characteristics or appearance in women.

Also Known As: DHEA-SO4 Test, DHEAS Test, DHES1 Test, Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate Test

Collection Method: Blood Draw

Specimen Type: Serum

Test Preparation: No preparation required

When is a DHEA Sulfate test ordered?

When excess androgen production is suspected and/or a health practitioner wants to analyze a person's adrenal gland function, a DHEAS test, along with other hormone testing, may be requested.

It can be assessed when a woman exhibits signs and symptoms of amenorrhea, infertility, and/or virilization. The intensity of these alterations varies, but they may include:

• A huskier voice

• Hair on the face or on the body that is excessive

• Baldness in men

• Muscularity

• Acne

• The Adam's apple has been enlarged

• Breast size has shrunk

It may also be ordered if a young girl exhibits evidence of virilization or if a female infant's external genitalia are not clearly male or female.

When young males show indicators of premature puberty, such as a deeper voice, pubic hair, muscularity, and an enlarged penis before the age of typical puberty, DHEAS may be evaluated.

What does a DHEA Sulfate blood test check for?

Male sex hormone dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate is found in both men and women. This test determines the amount of DHEAS in your blood.

DHEAS:

• At puberty, it aids in the development of male secondary sexual traits.

• Can be transformed into more strong androgens like testosterone and androstenedione by the body.

• It has the ability to transform into estrogen.

DHEAS is almost entirely produced by the adrenal glands, with minor contributions from a woman's ovaries and a man's testicles.

It's a good indicator of how well the adrenal glands are working. Overproduction of DHEAS can be caused by malignant and non-cancerous adrenal tumors, as well as adrenal hyperplasia. DHEAS can be produced by an ovarian tumor in rare cases.

DHEAS excess:

• In adult men, it may go unnoticed.

• In young boys, it can cause early puberty.

• Menstrual irregularities and the development of masculine physical traits in girls and women, such as excess body and facial hair

• Can result in a female infant being born with genitals that aren't clearly male or female

Lab tests often ordered with a DHEA Sulfate test:

• Testosterone

• ACTH

• FSH

• LH

• Prolactin

• Estrogen

• Estradiol

• Sex Hormone Binding Globulin

• 17-Hydroxyprogesterone

• Androstenedione

Conditions where a DHEA Sulfate test is recommended:

• PCOS

• Infertility

• Endocrine Syndromes

• Adrenal Insufficiency

• Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia

How does my health care provider use a DHEA Sulfate test?

The dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate test is ordered in conjunction with testosterone and other male hormones assays to:

• Examine the adrenal glands' performance.

• Differentiate DHEAS-secreting disorders produced by the adrenal glands from those caused by the testicles or, in rare cases, the ovaries

• Adrenocortical tumors and adrenal malignancies can be diagnosed with this test.

• Assist in the diagnosis of congenital and adult-onset adrenal hyperplasia.

DHEAS levels are frequently examined in women, along with other hormones like FSH, LH, prolactin, estrogen, and testosterone, to help diagnose polycystic ovarian syndrome and rule out other reasons of infertility, lack of monthly cycle, and excess facial and body hair.

DHEAS levels, along with other hormones, may be requested to examine and diagnose the cause of young females developing masculine physical traits and young boys developing early puberty.

What do my DHEA-S test results mean?

A normal DHEAS level, together with other normal male hormone levels, suggests that the adrenal gland is working properly. When an adrenal tumor or cancer is present but not secreting hormones, DHEAS may be normal.

A high DHEAS blood level could indicate that the person's symptoms are caused or exacerbated by excessive DHEAS production. An elevated level of DHEAS, on the other hand, is not used to make a diagnosis of any particular condition; rather, it usually signals that further testing is required to determine the source of the hormone imbalance. An adrenocortical tumor, Cushing illness, adrenal cancer, or adrenal hyperplasia, as well as a DHEAS-producing ovarian tumor, can all cause high DHEAS.

DHEAS levels may be high in polycystic ovary syndrome, but they may also be normal, as PCOS is usually associated with ovarian androgen production.

Adrenal insufficiency, adrenal dysfunction, Addison disease, or hypopituitarism, a disorder characterized by low levels of pituitary hormones that govern the generation and secretion of adrenal hormones, can all produce low DHEAS levels.

We advise having your results reviewed by a licensed medical healthcare professional for proper interpretation of your results.