Invitrogen™ 11-Ketotestosterone Competitive ELISA Kit

Androgenic hormones, such as testosterone, affect many male organisms’ growth, size, and reproduction. In teleost fish, along with testosterone, 11-ketotestosterone plays a significant role by inducing reproductive characteristics in both males and females. In particular male fish, 11-ketotestosterone levels increase during spermatogenesis in the spawning season, while in some female fish, 11-ketotestosterone increases before yolk deposition to regulate ovarian development. The presence and involvement of 11-ketotestosterone in other species, such as humans, have only recently been established. In contrast to fish, primate serum 11-ketotestosterone concentrations were not significantly different in males and females, despite males having significantly higher circulating testosterone. This evidence suggests that 11-ketotestosterone production in these species may not be testis-dependent and primarily originates from adrenal-derived 11-oxyandrogen precursors. Recent studies have discovered more 11-ketotestosterone than its precursors, androstenedione, and testosterone, in prepubertal children and postmenopausal women compared to men. This discovery highlights the potential use of 11-ketotestosterone as a clinical biomarker to screen adrenal androgen excess in disease conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and hirsutism in women.