TY - JOUR
T1 - Anogenital distance is related to ovarian follicular number in young Spanish women
T2 - a cross-sectional study.
AU - Mendiola, Jaime
AU - Roca, Manuela
AU - Mínguez-Alarcón, Lidia
AU - Mira-Escolano, Maria Pilar
AU - López-Espín, José J.
AU - Barrett, Emily S.
AU - Swan, Shanna H.
AU - Torres-Cantero, Alberto M.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by “Fundación Séneca, Región de Murcia, Agencia Regional de Ciencia y Tecnología, grant no. 08808/PI/08”, “Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (FIS) grant nº PI10/00985” and a research grant from Gestión Clínica Avanzada SLU. The authors gratefully acknowledge Dr. C. Millán, L. Sarabia, C. Ruiz, E. Belmonte and all the USP Dexeus Murcia clinic staff for their assistance in data collection; and the young women of the study for their participation. We also thank K.J. Ruiz-Ruiz and E. Estrella for their work on database management. In memory of our beloved friend and colleague, Maria Fuensanta Mas Tornel.
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - In animals, anogenital distance (AGD) at birth reflects androgen levels during pregnancy and predicts adult AGD. Little is known about AGD in relation to female reproductive characteristics in humans, a question this study was designed to explore. We used multiple linear and logistic regression analyses to model the relationships between adult female reproductive system characteristics (e.g. ovarian morphology, menstrual cycle) and two measures of AGD [anus-fourchette (AGD(AF)) and anus-clitoris (AGD(AC))] in 100 college-age volunteers in Spain. Ovarian morphology was classified as having < 6 or ≥ 6 follicles per ovary. Both AGD measures were positively associated with ovarian follicle number, with AGD(AF) being more strongly associated. Women in the upper tertile of the AGD(AF) and AGD(AC) distributions were more likely to have ≥ 6 ovarian follicles [OR: 6.0 (95% CI 2.0, 17.6) and 3.0 (95% CI 1.1, 8.6), respectively] compared to women in the lowest tertile. Increased follicular recruitment has been related to excess androgen exposure in utero in toxicological studies. Our results suggest that the androgenic environment during early fetal life may influence reproductive system development, including AGD, in human females.
AB - In animals, anogenital distance (AGD) at birth reflects androgen levels during pregnancy and predicts adult AGD. Little is known about AGD in relation to female reproductive characteristics in humans, a question this study was designed to explore. We used multiple linear and logistic regression analyses to model the relationships between adult female reproductive system characteristics (e.g. ovarian morphology, menstrual cycle) and two measures of AGD [anus-fourchette (AGD(AF)) and anus-clitoris (AGD(AC))] in 100 college-age volunteers in Spain. Ovarian morphology was classified as having < 6 or ≥ 6 follicles per ovary. Both AGD measures were positively associated with ovarian follicle number, with AGD(AF) being more strongly associated. Women in the upper tertile of the AGD(AF) and AGD(AC) distributions were more likely to have ≥ 6 ovarian follicles [OR: 6.0 (95% CI 2.0, 17.6) and 3.0 (95% CI 1.1, 8.6), respectively] compared to women in the lowest tertile. Increased follicular recruitment has been related to excess androgen exposure in utero in toxicological studies. Our results suggest that the androgenic environment during early fetal life may influence reproductive system development, including AGD, in human females.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84875774090&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1186/1476-069X-11-90
DO - 10.1186/1476-069X-11-90
M3 - Article
C2 - 23217457
AN - SCOPUS:84875774090
VL - 11
JO - Unknown Journal
JF - Unknown Journal
ER -