The main carrier protein in the blood for the hormone testosterone; measured in conjunction with the serum testosterone to derive the free androgen index.
Carrier protein to which sex hormones like testosterone attach, rendering them inactive.
SHBG. A protein made by the liver that carries a male hormone (testosterone) and a female hormone (estradiol, a form of estrogen) through the blood to body tissues. Estrogen causes levels of SHBG to increase; testosterone causes levels of SHBG to decrease.
Sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) is a glycoprotein that binds to sex hormones, specifically testosterone and estradiol. Other steroid hormones such as progesterone, cortisol, and other corticosteroids are bound by transcortin.