0021-972X/78/4703-0572$-2.00/0 Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism Copyright © 1978 by The Endocrine Society
Vol. 47, No. 3 Printed in U.S.A.
Pattern of Plasma Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate Levels in Humans from Birth to Adulthood: Evidence for Testicular Production* EVELINE DE PERETTI AND MAGUELONE G. FOREST Unite de Recherches Endocriniennes et Metaboliques chez I'Enfant, Inserm, U. 34, Hbpital Debrousse, Lyon, France ABSTRACT. Plasma levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHAS) were measured in 513 normal full term newborns, infants, children, adolescents, and adults and the results were expressed in micrograms per dl. In infancy and childhood, DHAS levels were similar in both sexes. In 74 neonates, mixed cord blood mean values ± SD were 134.6 ± 64. During the first day of life, plasma DHAS levels were 140 ± 125 in 33 neonates. During the first month of life, DHAS decreased drastically, then more progressively until the 6th month of life. Between 1-6 months of age, mean levels were 5.9 ± 4.7 in 40 children. DHAS was very low between 1-6 yr of life (2.3 ± 1.6) and rose abruptly at the 7th year of
life. Thereafter, DHAS continued to increase correlatively with age and pubertal stages in both sexes; a further increase after age 16 or pubertal stage P5 was noted only in male subjects. In adults, DHAS was significantly higher in male (224 ± 93) than in female (138.3 ± 51) subjects. DHAS levels were compared to those of dehydroepiandrosterone; at two periods of life, early infancy and adulthood, their patterns differed. After long term hCG stimulation, DHAS increased significantly in 45 normal prepubertal boys and in 2 boys with adrenal insufficiency. These data would suggest a direct testicular production of DHAS. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 47: 572, 1978)
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collected from the umbilical cord of 74 neonates, which were products of uneventful pregnancies and spontaneously delivered. Peripheral blood was obtained from 33 normal babies within the first 24 h of life, from 122 infants 2-365 days of age, and from 232 normal children 1-17 yr old. All subjects were free of any evident endocrine dysfunction and of acute or chronic nonendocrine disorders, as verified by history and clinical examination, and were within 2 SD of the mean for height, weight, and bone age. Their pubertal development was assigned PI to P5, according to the classification of Tanner (3). However, in children older than 6 yr of age, stage PI of Tanner was subdivided on the basis of age in PO (6-9 years) and PI (9-11 years). All of these infants and children were studied with informed parental and physician consent. Most of the Materials and Methods blood samples were left over from a previously reported study of the pattern of unconjugated DHA Subjects A total of 513 male and female normal subjects levels (1). Normal adult volunteers were also studwere studied. Mixed arterial and venous blood was ied (25 normal cycling women, 20-47 yr, and 27 normal adult males, 18-49 yr). In 40 of them, DHA levels have also been reported (1). In addition, Received August 29,1977. Address requests for reprints to: Dr. Eveline de Peretti, DHAS was measured at the beginning and the end Unite de Recherches Endocriniennes et Metaboliques of an hCG test (1500 IU every other day for 14 chez l'Enfant, Inserm, U. 34, Hopital Debrousse, 29 Rue days) (4) required by the physicians of 45 boys aged Soeur Bouvier, 69322 Lyon Cedex 1, France. 1-15 8/i2 yr old. * This work was supported by Inserm and in part by Besides these normal subjects, four boys with Grants ATP-6-74-27 and ATP-33-76-65. Part of this work appeared in the Abstracts of The Endocrine Society, complete adrenal insufficiency were studied. DHAS levels were measured in basal conditions at differChicago, June 8-10,1977.
E HAVE previously reported the evolution of the plasma unconjugated dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA) concentrations in children from birth to puberty (1). The parallel study of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHAS) remained tedious until a few years ago, due to the length of a method necessitating extraction, solvolysis, and chromatographic purification before the final step of RIA. The use of a specific antibody (2) for measuring DHAS directly in minute amounts of diluted plasma enables us to study the variations of DHAS in infants and children, in basal conditions, and after long term stimulation with hCG.
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The Endocrine Society. Downloaded from press.endocrine.org by [${individualUser.displayName}] on 17 November 2015. at 05:27 For personal use only. No other uses without permission. . All rights reserved.
ONTOGENESIS OF PLASMA DHA SULFATE LEVELS IN HUMANS ent times throughout puberty in two of them and during hCG test in the two others. Methods DHAS levels were estimated by a radioimmunological method (RIA) using an antibody (S-1502 no. 7) raised in the ewe against DHA-3 hemisuccinate and supplied by Dr. G. E. Abraham (2). According to the original report (2), cross-reactivities found in our laboratory were equal to 100% for DHAS and were negligible (
Vol. 47, No. 3 Printed in U.S.A.
Pattern of Plasma Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate Levels in Humans from Birth to Adulthood: Evidence for Testicular Production* EVELINE DE PERETTI AND MAGUELONE G. FOREST Unite de Recherches Endocriniennes et Metaboliques chez I'Enfant, Inserm, U. 34, Hbpital Debrousse, Lyon, France ABSTRACT. Plasma levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHAS) were measured in 513 normal full term newborns, infants, children, adolescents, and adults and the results were expressed in micrograms per dl. In infancy and childhood, DHAS levels were similar in both sexes. In 74 neonates, mixed cord blood mean values ± SD were 134.6 ± 64. During the first day of life, plasma DHAS levels were 140 ± 125 in 33 neonates. During the first month of life, DHAS decreased drastically, then more progressively until the 6th month of life. Between 1-6 months of age, mean levels were 5.9 ± 4.7 in 40 children. DHAS was very low between 1-6 yr of life (2.3 ± 1.6) and rose abruptly at the 7th year of
life. Thereafter, DHAS continued to increase correlatively with age and pubertal stages in both sexes; a further increase after age 16 or pubertal stage P5 was noted only in male subjects. In adults, DHAS was significantly higher in male (224 ± 93) than in female (138.3 ± 51) subjects. DHAS levels were compared to those of dehydroepiandrosterone; at two periods of life, early infancy and adulthood, their patterns differed. After long term hCG stimulation, DHAS increased significantly in 45 normal prepubertal boys and in 2 boys with adrenal insufficiency. These data would suggest a direct testicular production of DHAS. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 47: 572, 1978)
W
collected from the umbilical cord of 74 neonates, which were products of uneventful pregnancies and spontaneously delivered. Peripheral blood was obtained from 33 normal babies within the first 24 h of life, from 122 infants 2-365 days of age, and from 232 normal children 1-17 yr old. All subjects were free of any evident endocrine dysfunction and of acute or chronic nonendocrine disorders, as verified by history and clinical examination, and were within 2 SD of the mean for height, weight, and bone age. Their pubertal development was assigned PI to P5, according to the classification of Tanner (3). However, in children older than 6 yr of age, stage PI of Tanner was subdivided on the basis of age in PO (6-9 years) and PI (9-11 years). All of these infants and children were studied with informed parental and physician consent. Most of the Materials and Methods blood samples were left over from a previously reported study of the pattern of unconjugated DHA Subjects A total of 513 male and female normal subjects levels (1). Normal adult volunteers were also studwere studied. Mixed arterial and venous blood was ied (25 normal cycling women, 20-47 yr, and 27 normal adult males, 18-49 yr). In 40 of them, DHA levels have also been reported (1). In addition, Received August 29,1977. Address requests for reprints to: Dr. Eveline de Peretti, DHAS was measured at the beginning and the end Unite de Recherches Endocriniennes et Metaboliques of an hCG test (1500 IU every other day for 14 chez l'Enfant, Inserm, U. 34, Hopital Debrousse, 29 Rue days) (4) required by the physicians of 45 boys aged Soeur Bouvier, 69322 Lyon Cedex 1, France. 1-15 8/i2 yr old. * This work was supported by Inserm and in part by Besides these normal subjects, four boys with Grants ATP-6-74-27 and ATP-33-76-65. Part of this work appeared in the Abstracts of The Endocrine Society, complete adrenal insufficiency were studied. DHAS levels were measured in basal conditions at differChicago, June 8-10,1977.
E HAVE previously reported the evolution of the plasma unconjugated dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA) concentrations in children from birth to puberty (1). The parallel study of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHAS) remained tedious until a few years ago, due to the length of a method necessitating extraction, solvolysis, and chromatographic purification before the final step of RIA. The use of a specific antibody (2) for measuring DHAS directly in minute amounts of diluted plasma enables us to study the variations of DHAS in infants and children, in basal conditions, and after long term stimulation with hCG.
572
The Endocrine Society. Downloaded from press.endocrine.org by [${individualUser.displayName}] on 17 November 2015. at 05:27 For personal use only. No other uses without permission. . All rights reserved.
ONTOGENESIS OF PLASMA DHA SULFATE LEVELS IN HUMANS ent times throughout puberty in two of them and during hCG test in the two others. Methods DHAS levels were estimated by a radioimmunological method (RIA) using an antibody (S-1502 no. 7) raised in the ewe against DHA-3 hemisuccinate and supplied by Dr. G. E. Abraham (2). According to the original report (2), cross-reactivities found in our laboratory were equal to 100% for DHAS and were negligible (
