Carphology

Abstract

Too much of a good Thing? Is it fair to say that idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is still idiopathic? Seventy women with IIH, 40 with obesity alone and 60 with polycystic ovarian syndrome had their patterns of serum androgen levels measured (and a subset had cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) measures). Women with IIH showed a distinct signature of androgen excess, with increased serum testosterone and increased CSF testosterone and androstenedione. Human choroid plexus expresses the androgen receptor, alongside the androgen-activating enzyme aldoketoreductase type 1C3. In rat, choroid plexus testosterone significantly enhances the activity of Na/K-ATPase, a surrogate of CSF secretion. Could this open the door to targeted IIH therapies? JCI Insight 2019;4(6).