| Title: | Effects of adrenal androgens during the prenatal period on the second to fourth digit ratio in school-aged children |
| Authors: | Mitsui, Takahiko Browse this author |
| Araki, Atsuko Browse this author →KAKEN DB |
| Goudarzi, Houman Browse this author |
| Miyashita, Chihiro Browse this author →KAKEN DB |
| Ito, Sachiko Browse this author →KAKEN DB |
| Sasaki, Seiko Browse this author |
| Kitta, Takeya Browse this author |
| Moriya, Kimihiko Browse this author |
| Cho, Kazutoshi Browse this author →KAKEN DB |
| Morioka, Keita Browse this author |
| Kishi, Reiko Browse this author →KAKEN DB |
| Shinohara, Nobuo Browse this author →KAKEN DB |
| Takeda, Masayuki Browse this author |
| Nonomura, Katsuya Browse this author →KAKEN DB |
| Keywords: | 2D/4D |
| DHEA |
| Prenatal |
| Adrenal |
| Androgen |
| Sex differentiation |
| Issue Date: | Sep-2016 |
| Publisher: | Elsevier |
| Journal Title: | Steroids |
| Volume: | 113 |
| Start Page: | 46 |
| End Page: | 51 |
| Publisher DOI: | 10.1016/j.steroids.2016.06.009 |
| Abstract: | Objectives
We investigated the relationship between the levels of adrenal steroid hormones in cord blood and the second to fourth digit ratio (2D/4D), which is regarded as an indirect method to investigate the putative effects of prenatal exposure to androgens, in school-aged children.
Materials and methods
Of the 514 mother-child pairs who participated in the prospective cohort study of birth in Sapporo between 2002 and 2005, the following adrenal steroid hormone levels in 294 stored cord blood samples (135 males and 159 females) were measured; cortisol, cortisone, androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). A total of 190 out of 350 children who were currently school-aged and contactable for this survey sent back photocopies of their palms for 2D/4D measurements.
Results
2D/4D in all right hands, left hands, and mean values was significantly lower in males than in females (p < 0.01). DHEA levels were significantly higher in females. A multivariate regression model showed that 2D/4D negatively correlated with DHEA in males only (p < 0.01). No correlations were observed in the other adrenal steroid hormones tested in males or in any adrenal steroid hormones in females.
Conclusion
DHEA is mainly secreted in large amounts by the adrenal gland and is transformed into active sex-steroid hormones in peripheral tissues. The present study demonstrated that sex differences in digits were influenced by adrenal androgens during the prenatal period, possibly through intracrinological processes for androgen receptors located in fetal cartilaginous tissues. |
| Rights: | © 2016. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ |
| http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ |
| Type: | article (author version) |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/2115/87337 |
| Appears in Collections: | 環境健康科学研究教育センター (Center for Environmental and Health Sciences) > 雑誌発表論文等 (Peer-reviewed Journal Articles, etc)
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