Search Results
You are looking at 1 - 10 of 182 items for
- Abstract: adrenarche x
- Abstract: amenorrhoea x
- Abstract: fertility x
- Abstract: Gender x
- Abstract: Hypogonadism x
- Abstract: infertility x
- Abstract: Kallmann x
- Abstract: Klinefelter x
- Abstract: menarche x
- Abstract: menopause x
- Abstract: transsexual x
- Abstract: sperm* x
- Abstract: follicles x
Search for other papers by Frederic Schrøder Arendrup in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Severine Mazaud-Guittot in
Google Scholar
PubMed
EHESP-School of Public Health, Rennes, France
Search for other papers by Bernard Jégou in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Inserm (Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale), Irset – Inserm, UMR 1085, Rennes, France
Search for other papers by David Møbjerg Kristensen in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Concern has been raised over chemical-induced disruption of ovary development during fetal life resulting in long-lasting consequences only manifesting themselves much later during adulthood. A growing body of evidence suggests that prenatal exposure to the mild analgesic acetaminophen/paracetamol can cause such a scenario. Therefore, in this review, we discuss three recent reports that collectively indicate that prenatal exposure in a period of 13.5 days post coitum in both rats and mouse can result in reduced female reproductive health. The combined data show that the exposure results in the reduction of primordial follicles, irregular menstrual cycle, premature absence of corpus luteum, as well as reduced fertility, resembling premature ovarian insufficiency syndrome in humans that is linked to premature menopause. This could especially affect the Western parts of the world, where the age for childbirth is continuously being increased and acetaminophen is recommended during pregnancy for pain and fever. We therefore highlight an urgent need for more studies to verify these data including both experimental and epidemiological approaches.
K.G. Jebsen Center for Autoimmune Disorders, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
Search for other papers by Elinor Chelsom Vogt in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
Search for other papers by Francisco Gómez Real in
Google Scholar
PubMed
K.G. Jebsen Center for Autoimmune Disorders, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
Search for other papers by Eystein Sverre Husebye in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
Search for other papers by Sigridur Björnsdottir in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Department of Sleep, Landspitali University Hospital Reykjavík, Reykjavik, Iceland
Search for other papers by Bryndis Benediktsdottir in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Randi Jacobsen Bertelsen in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Pascal Demoly in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Karl Anders Franklin in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Leire Sainz de Aja Gallastegui in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Francisco Javier Callejas González in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Allergy and Lung Health Unit, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Search for other papers by Joachim Heinrich in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Mathias Holm in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Nils Oscar Jogi in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Benedicte Leynaert in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Eva Lindberg in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Andrei Malinovschi in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Albacete Faculty of Medicine, Castilla-La Mancha University, Albacete, Spain
Search for other papers by Jesús Martínez-Moratalla in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Raúl Godoy Mayoral in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Anna Oudin in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Antonio Pereira-Vega in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Chantal Raherison Semjen in
Google Scholar
PubMed
The National Research Center for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark
Search for other papers by Vivi Schlünssen in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Kai Triebner in
Google Scholar
PubMed
K.G. Jebsen Center for Autoimmune Disorders, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
Search for other papers by Marianne Øksnes in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Objective
To investigate markers of premature menopause (<40 years) and specifically the prevalence of autoimmune primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) in European women.
Design
Postmenopausal women were categorized according to age at menopause and self-reported reason for menopause in a cross-sectional analysis of 6870 women.
Methods
Variables associated with the timing of menopause and hormone measurements of 17β-estradiol and follicle-stimulating hormone were explored using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Specific immunoprecipitating assays of steroidogenic autoantibodies against 21-hydroxylase (21-OH), side-chain cleavage enzyme (anti-SCC) and 17alpha-hydroxylase (17 OH), as well as NACHT leucine-rich-repeat protein 5 were used to identify women with likely autoimmune POI.
Results
Premature menopause was identified in 2.8% of women, and these women had higher frequencies of nulliparity (37.4% vs 19.7%), obesity (28.7% vs 21.4%), osteoporosis (17.1% vs 11.6%), hormone replacement therapy (59.1% vs 36.9%) and never smokers (60.1% vs 50.9%) (P < 0.05), compared to women with menopause ≥40 years. Iatrogenic causes were found in 91 (47%) and non-ovarian causes in 27 (14%) women, while 77 (39%) women were classified as POI of unknown cause, resulting in a 1.1% prevalence of idiopathic POI. After adjustments nulliparity was the only variable significantly associated with POI (odds ratio 2.46; 95% CI 1.63–3.42). Based on the presence of autoantibodies against 21 OH and SCC, 4.5% of POI cases were of likely autoimmune origin.
Conclusion
Idiopathic POI affects 1.1% of all women and almost half of the women with premature menopause. Autoimmunity explains 4.5% of these cases judged by positive steroidogenic autoantibodies.
Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, NAS of Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine
Search for other papers by Antonina Khoruzhenko in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Françoise Miot in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Claude Massart in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Jacqueline Van Sande in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Jacques Emile Dumont in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Renaud Beauwens in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Alain Boom in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Background
Long-term maintenance of functional activity of thyroid cells is an essential requirement for basic in vitro studies on the physiology and pathology of the thyroid. An important prerequisite of thyrocytes’ functional activity in vivo and in vitro is their follicle organization.
Aim
This study aimed at developing a method of cultivation of functionally active rat thyroid follicles in Matrigel under three-dimensional conditions.
Methods
Undamaged rat thyroid follicles were isolated by enzymatic digestion with collagenase/dispase, then embedded into Matrigel, and cultivated for 2 weeks. Thyroglobulin, thyroxine and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) localization were revealed by immunofluorescence analysis. Iodide organification was tested by protein-bound 125I (PBI) measurement.
Results
Integrity of the follicles was preserved during the whole period of cultivation and was confirmed by 3D reconstruction of ZO-1 localization. Thyroglobulin was detected in the thyrocyte cytoplasm, as well as in the intrafollicular lumen. Thyroxine was observed predominantly at the apical side of thyrocytes. Also, generated cultures were characterized by a high level of iodide organification: PB125I represented 39% of the total radioactivity in the Matrigel drop embedding the follicles; at the same time, methimazole almost totally inhibited this process (0.2% of total radioactivity).
Conclusion
The method of rat thyrocyte cultivation in Matrigel, as described here allows to maintain the structural integrity and the functional activity of thyroid follicles in vitro and could be used for wide ranges of basic and applied researches in thyroidology.
Department of Paediatric Endocrinology, Gynaecology, and Diabetology, AP-HP, Necker-Enfants Malades University Hospital, IMAGINE Institute affiliate, Paris, France
Search for other papers by Isabelle Flechtner in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Department of Paediatric Endocrinology, Gynaecology, and Diabetology, AP-HP, Necker-Enfants Malades University Hospital, IMAGINE Institute affiliate, Paris, France
Search for other papers by Magali Viaud in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Dulanjalee Kariyawasam in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Department of Paediatric Endocrinology, Gynaecology, and Diabetology, AP-HP, Necker-Enfants Malades University Hospital, IMAGINE Institute affiliate, Paris, France
Search for other papers by Marie Perrissin-Fabert in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Department of Paediatric Endocrinology, Gynaecology, and Diabetology, AP-HP, Necker-Enfants Malades University Hospital, IMAGINE Institute affiliate, Paris, France
Search for other papers by Maud Bidet in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Department of Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine, AP-HPIE3M, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, ICAN, Paris, France
Search for other papers by Anne Bachelot in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Department of Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine, AP-HPIE3M, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, ICAN, Paris, France
Search for other papers by Philippe Touraine in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Philippe Labrune in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Centre for Rare Gynecological Disorders, Hospital Universitaire Necker-Enfants Malades, Paediatric Endocrinology, Gynaecology and Diabetology, AP-HP, Université de Paris, Paris, France
Search for other papers by Pascale de Lonlay in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Department of Paediatric Endocrinology, Gynaecology, and Diabetology, AP-HP, Necker-Enfants Malades University Hospital, IMAGINE Institute affiliate, Paris, France
Centre for Rare Gynecological Disorders, Hospital Universitaire Necker-Enfants Malades, Paediatric Endocrinology, Gynaecology and Diabetology, AP-HP, Université de Paris, Paris, France
Search for other papers by Michel Polak in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Classic galactosemia is a rare inborn error of galactose metabolism with a birth prevalence of about 1/30,000–60,000. Long-term complications occurring despite dietary treatment consist of premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) and neurodevelopmental impairments. We performed with the French Reference Centers for Rare Diseases a multisite collaborative questionnaire survey for classic galactosemic patients. Its primary objective was to assess their puberty, pregnancy, gonadotropic axis, and pelvic morphology by ultrasound. The secondary objective was to determine predictive factors for pregnancy without oocyte donation. Completed questionnaires from 103 patients, 56 females (median age, 19 years (3–52 years)) and 47 males (median age, 19 years (3–45 years)), were analyzed. Among the 43 females older than 13 years old, mean age for breast development first stage was 13.8 years; spontaneous menarche occurred in 21/31 females at a mean age of 14.6 years. In these 21 women, 62% had spaniomenorrhea and 7/17 older than 30 years had amenorrhea. All age-groups confounded, FSH was above reference range for 65.7% of the patients, anti-Müllerian hormone and inhibin B were undetectable, and the ovaries were small with few or no follicles detected. Among the 5 females who sought to conceive, 4 had pregnancies. Among the 47 males, 1 had cryptorchidism, all have normal testicular function and none had a desire to conceive children. Thus, spontaneous puberty and POI are both common in this population. Spontaneous menarche seems to be the best predictive factor for successful spontaneous pregnancy.
International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
Search for other papers by Hans Valdemar López Krabbe in
Google Scholar
PubMed
International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
Section of Biostatistics, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Search for other papers by Jørgen Holm Petersen in
Google Scholar
PubMed
International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
Department of Fertility, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
Search for other papers by Louise Laub Asserhøj in
Google Scholar
PubMed
International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
Search for other papers by Trine Holm Johannsen in
Google Scholar
PubMed
International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
Search for other papers by Peter Christiansen in
Google Scholar
PubMed
International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Search for other papers by Rikke Beck Jensen in
Google Scholar
PubMed
International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
Search for other papers by Line Hartvig Cleemann in
Google Scholar
PubMed
International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
Search for other papers by Casper P Hagen in
Google Scholar
PubMed
International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
Search for other papers by Lærke Priskorn in
Google Scholar
PubMed
International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
Search for other papers by Niels Jørgensen in
Google Scholar
PubMed
International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Search for other papers by Katharina M Main in
Google Scholar
PubMed
International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Search for other papers by Anders Juul in
Google Scholar
PubMed
International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
Search for other papers by Lise Aksglaede in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Adult patients with Klinefelter syndrome (KS) are characterized by a highly variable phenotype, including tall stature, obesity, and hypergonadotropic hypogonadism, as well as an increased risk of developing insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and osteoporosis. Most adults need testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), whereas the use of TRT during puberty has been debated. In this retrospective, observational study, reproductive hormones and whole-body dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry-derived body composition and bone mineral content were standardized to age-related standard deviation scores in 62 patients with KS aged 5.9–20.6 years. Serum concentrations of total testosterone and inhibin B were low, whereas luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone were high in patients before TRT. Despite normal body mass index, body fat percentage and the ratio between android fat percentage and gynoid fat percentage were significantly higher in the entire group irrespective of treatment status. In patients evaluated before and during TRT, a tendency toward a more beneficial body composition with a significant reduction in the ratio between android fat percentage and gynoid fat percentage during TRT was found. Bone mineral content (BMC) did not differ from the reference, but BMC corrected for bone area was significantly lower when compared to the reference. This study confirms that patients with KS have an unfavorable body composition and an impaired bone mineral status already during childhood and adolescence. Systematic studies are needed to evaluate whether TRT during puberty will improve these parameters.
Search for other papers by Mikkel Andreassen in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Anders Juul in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Ulla Feldt-Rasmussen in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Niels Jørgensen in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Objective
Gonadotropins (luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)) are released from the pituitary gland and stimulate Leydig cells to produce testosterone and initiates spermatogenesis. Little is known about how and when the deterioration of semen quality occurs in patients with adult-onset gonadotropin insufficiency.
Design and methods
A retrospective study comprising 20 testosterone-deficient men (median age, 29 years) with acquired pituitary disease who delivered semen for cryopreservation before initiation of testosterone therapy. Semen variables and hormone concentrations were compared to those of young healthy men (n = 340).
Results
Thirteen of 20 patients (65%) and 82% of controls had total sperm counts above 39 million and progressive motile spermatozoa above 32% (P = 0.05). For the individual semen variables, there were no significant differences in semen volume (median (intraquartile range) 3.0 (1.3–6.8) vs 3.2 (2.3–4.3) mL, P = 0.47), sperm concentration 41 (11–71) vs 43 (22–73) mill/mL (P = 0.56) or total sperm counts (P = 0.66). One patient had azoospermia. Patients vs controls had lower serum testosterone 5.4 (2.2–7.6) vs 19.7 (15.5–24.5) nmol/L (P = 0.001), calculated free testosterone (cfT) 145 (56–183) vs 464 (359–574) pmol/L (P < 0.001), LH 1.5 (1.1–2.1) vs 3.1 (2.3–4.0) U/L (P = 0.002) and inhibin b (P < 0.001). Levels of FSH were similar (P = 0.63). Testosterone/LH ratio and cfT/LH ratio were reduced in patients (both P < 0.001).
Conclusions
Despite Leydig cell insufficiency in patients with acquired pituitary insufficiency, the majority presented with normal semen quality based on the determination of the number of progressively motile spermatozoa. In addition, the data suggest reduced LH bioactivity in patients with pituitary insufficiency.
Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
Search for other papers by Andre Madsen in
Google Scholar
PubMed
International Center for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Search for other papers by Anders Juul in
Google Scholar
PubMed
International Center for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
Search for other papers by Lise Aksglaede in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Objective
Klinefelter syndrome (KS) is the most common sex chromosome disorder and genetic cause of infertility in males. A highly variable phenotype contributes to the fact that a large proportion of cases are never diagnosed. Typical hallmarks in adults include small testes and azoospermia which may prompt biochemical evaluation that typically shows extremely high follicle-stimulating hormone and low/undetectable inhibin B serum concentrations. However, in prepubertal KS individuals, biochemical parameters are largely overlapping those of prepubertal controls. We aimed to characterize clinical profiles of prepubertal boys with KS in relation to controls and to develop a novel biochemical classification model to identify KS before puberty.
Methods
Retrospective, longitudinal data from 15 prepubertal boys with KS and data from 1475 controls were used to calculate age- and sex-adjusted standard deviation scores (SDS) for height and serum concentrations of reproductive hormones and used to infer a decision tree classification model for KS.
Results
Individual reproductive hormones were low but within reference ranges and did not discriminate KS from controls. Clinical and biochemical profiles including age- and sex-adjusted SDS from multiple reference curves provided input data to train a ‘random forest’ machine learning (ML) model for the detection of KS. Applied to unseen data, the ML model achieved a classification accuracy of 78% (95% CI, 61–94%).
Conclusions
Supervised ML applied to clinically relevant variables enabled computational classification of control and KS profiles. The application of age- and sex-adjusted SDS provided robust predictions irrespective of age. Specialized ML models applied to combined reproductive hormone concentrations may be useful diagnostic tools to improve the identification of prepubertal boys with KS.
Search for other papers by Giuseppe Grande in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Andrea Graziani in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Antonella Di Mambro in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Riccardo Selice in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
Search for other papers by Alberto Ferlin in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Low bone mass is common in men with Klinefelter syndrome (KS), with a prevalence of 6–15% of osteoporosis and of 25–48% of osteopenia. Reduced bone mass has been described since adolescence and it might be related to both reduced bone formation and higher bone resorption. Although reduced testosterone levels are clearly involved in the pathogenesis, this relation is not always evident. Importantly, fracture risk is increased independently from bone mineral density (BMD) and testosterone levels. Here we discuss the pathogenesis of osteoporosis in patients with KS, with a particular focus on the role of testosterone and testis function. In fact, other hormonal mechanisms, such as global Leydig cell dysfunction, causing reduced insulin-like factor 3 and 25-OH vitamin D levels, and high follicle-stimulating hormone and estradiol levels, might be involved. Furthermore, genetic aspects related to the supernumerary X chromosome might be involved, as well as androgen receptor expression and function. Notably, body composition, skeletal mass and strength, and age at diagnosis are other important aspects. Although dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry is recommended in the clinical workflow for patients with KS to measure BMD, recent evidence suggests that alterations in the microarchitecture of the bones and vertebral fractures might be present even in subjects with normal BMD. Therefore, analysis of trabecular bone score, high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography and vertebral morphometry seem promising tools to better estimate the fracture risk of patients with KS. This review also summarizes the evidence on the best available treatments for osteoporosis in men with KS, with or without hypogonadism.
Department of Molecular Endocrinology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan
Search for other papers by Maki Igarashi in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Department of Molecular Endocrinology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan
Search for other papers by Tadayuki Ayabe in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Kiwako Yamamoto-Hanada in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Keiko Matsubara in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Hatoko Sasaki in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Mayako Saito-Abe in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Miori Sato in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Nathan Mise in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Akihiko Ikegami in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Masayuki Shimono in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Reiko Suga in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Research Center for Environment and Developmental Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
Search for other papers by Shouichi Ohga in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Research Center for Environment and Developmental Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
Search for other papers by Masafumi Sanefuji in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Masako Oda in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Hiroshi Mitsubuchi in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Takehiro Michikawa in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Shin Yamazaki in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Shoji Nakayama in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Yukihiro Ohya in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Department of Molecular Endocrinology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan
Search for other papers by Maki Fukami in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Objective
Ultra-sensitive hormone assays have detected slight sex differences in blood estradiol (E2) levels in young children before adrenarche. However, the origin of circulating E2 in these individuals remains unknown. This study aimed to clarify how E2 is produced in young girls before adrenarche.
Design
This is a satellite project of the Japan Environment and Children’s Study organized by the National Institute for Environmental Studies.
Methods
We collected blood samples from healthy 6-year-old Japanese children (79 boys and 71 girls). Hormone measurements and data analysis were performed in the National Institute for Environmental Studies and the Medical Support Center of the Japan Environment and Children’s Study, respectively.
Results
E2 and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) levels were significantly higher in girls than in boys, while dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) and testosterone levels were comparable between the two groups. Girls showed significantly higher E2/testosterone ratios than boys. In children of both sexes, a correlation was observed between E2 and testosterone levels and between testosterone and DHEA-S levels. Moreover, E2 levels were correlated with FSH levels only in girls.
Conclusions
The results indicate that in 6-year-old girls, circulating E2 is produced primarily in the ovary from adrenal steroids through FSH-induced aromatase upregulation. This study provides evidence that female-dominant E2 production starts several months or years before adrenarche. The biological significance of E2 biosynthesis in these young children needs to be clarified in future studies.
Search for other papers by Ladan Younesi in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Zeinab Safarpour Lima in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Azadeh Akbari Sene in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Zahra Hosseini Jebelli in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Ghazaleh Amjad in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders. The aim of this study was to find the correlation between color Doppler ultrasound and serum tests as auxiliary diagnostic criteria in areas where there is no possibility of some tests. A total of 108 patients were enrolled. They were divided into three groups including patients with PCOS, patients with PCOA ultrasound, patients with ovaries and normal hormone tests. Transvaginal sonography was performed from three groups and the results were evaluated in gray scale. The volume of the ovary, the number of follicles and the placement of follicles were recorded using using Doppler spectrum of uterine artery and ovarian stroma. Their arterial resistance index was also calculated. In the next step, serum samples were evaluated to determine the level of LH, FSH, free testosterone, DHEAS and 17-OHP hormones in the early follicular phase. Gray scale ultrasonographic findings (volume and number of ovarian follicles) as well as LH values were higher in patients with PCOS than those in the other two groups. These results proved the reliability of using these factors in the prediction of PCOS. In this study, Doppler indexes did not correlate with the size of the ovaries, the number of ovarian follicles and the measured hormone levels. The findings of transvaginal ultrasound and investigating the relationship with clinical and laboratory outcomes, a more suitable pattern could be chosen for more accurate patient selection and, leading to timely treatment and reducing the complications of the disease.
