TY - JOUR
T1 - Evidence for increased 5α-reductase activity during early childhood in daughters of women with polycystic ovary syndrome
AU - Torchen, Laura C.
AU - Idkowiak, Jan
AU - Fogel, Naomi R.
AU - O'Neil, Donna M.
AU - Shackleton, Cedric H.L.
AU - Arlt, Wiebke
AU - Dunaif, Andrea
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by P50 HD044405 (to A.D.) and K12 HD055884 (to L.T.) from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development, the Medical Research Council UK Research Training Fellowship G1001964 (to J.I.), and the Wellcome Trust Project grant 092283 (to W.A.).
PY - 2016/5
Y1 - 2016/5
N2 - Context: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a heritable, complex genetic disease. Animal models suggest that androgen exposure at critical developmental stages contributes to disease pathogenesis. We hypothesized that genetic variation resulting in increased androgen production produces the phenotypic features of PCOS by programming during critical developmental periods. Although we have not found evidence for increased in utero androgen levels in cord blood in the daughters of women with PCOS (PCOS-d), target tissue androgen production may be amplified by increased 5α-reductase activity analogous to findings in adult affected women. It is possible to noninvasively test this hypothesis by examining urinary steroid metabolites. Objective: We performed this study to investigate whether PCOS-d have altered androgen metabolism during early childhood. Design, Setting, and Participants: Twenty-one PCOS-d, 1-3 years old, and 36 control girls of comparable age were studied at an academic medical center. Main Outcome Measures: Urinary steroid metabolites were measured by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Twenty-four hour steroid excretion rates and precursor to product ratios suggestive of 5α-reductase and 11beta;-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activities were calculated. Results: Age did not differ but weight for length Z-scores were higher in PCOS-d compared to control girls (P = .02). PCOS-d had increased 5α-tetrahydrocortisol:tetrahydrocortisol ratios (P = .04), suggesting increased global 5α-reductase activity. There was no evidence for differences in 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity. Steroid metabolite excretion was not correlated with weight. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that differences in androgen metabolism are present in early childhood in PCOS-d. Increased 5α-reductase activity could contribute to the development of PCOS by amplifying target tissue androgen action.
AB - Context: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a heritable, complex genetic disease. Animal models suggest that androgen exposure at critical developmental stages contributes to disease pathogenesis. We hypothesized that genetic variation resulting in increased androgen production produces the phenotypic features of PCOS by programming during critical developmental periods. Although we have not found evidence for increased in utero androgen levels in cord blood in the daughters of women with PCOS (PCOS-d), target tissue androgen production may be amplified by increased 5α-reductase activity analogous to findings in adult affected women. It is possible to noninvasively test this hypothesis by examining urinary steroid metabolites. Objective: We performed this study to investigate whether PCOS-d have altered androgen metabolism during early childhood. Design, Setting, and Participants: Twenty-one PCOS-d, 1-3 years old, and 36 control girls of comparable age were studied at an academic medical center. Main Outcome Measures: Urinary steroid metabolites were measured by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Twenty-four hour steroid excretion rates and precursor to product ratios suggestive of 5α-reductase and 11beta;-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activities were calculated. Results: Age did not differ but weight for length Z-scores were higher in PCOS-d compared to control girls (P = .02). PCOS-d had increased 5α-tetrahydrocortisol:tetrahydrocortisol ratios (P = .04), suggesting increased global 5α-reductase activity. There was no evidence for differences in 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity. Steroid metabolite excretion was not correlated with weight. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that differences in androgen metabolism are present in early childhood in PCOS-d. Increased 5α-reductase activity could contribute to the development of PCOS by amplifying target tissue androgen action.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84969794976&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1210/jc.2015-3926
DO - 10.1210/jc.2015-3926
M3 - Article
C2 - 26990942
AN - SCOPUS:84969794976
SN - 0021-972X
VL - 101
SP - 2069
EP - 2075
JO - Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
JF - Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
IS - 5
ER -