title: Maternal hormone levels in early gestation of cryptorchid males: a case-control study.
abstract: A case-control study was conducted to assess maternal hormonal factors associated with increased risk of bearing a cryptorchid son. Serum samples were collected during the first trimester of pregnancy from participants in the US Collaborative Perinatal Study. Twenty-five mothers of normal offspring (controls) were individually matched on medical center, age, parity, weight and length of gestation at the time of sampling to women bearing sons who had a diagnosis of cryptorchidism at one year of age or older. Compared with controls, mothers of cryptorchid sons (cases) had significantly greater percentages of non-protein bound (P = 0.010) and albumin-bound (P = 0.014) estradiol during the first trimester of the index pregnancy. On average, cases had 16% more bioavailable oestradiol than controls. Levels of human chorionic gonadotropin, testosterone, non-protein bound testosterone and sex-hormone binding globulin did not differ between the two groups. The data presented support the hypothesis that cryptorchidism results from elevated maternal oestrogen levels early in pregnancy.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003456:Cryptorchidism / Q000196:embryology* / Q000209:etiology; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones; D004958:Estradiol