title: Testosterone, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, and sex-hormone-binding globulin in pregnant alcohol abusers.
abstract: We compared serum concentrations of total and free testosterone, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), and sex-hormone-binding globulin in 40 pregnant women exhibiting consistent alcohol abuse and in 20 abstinent pregnant controls. Sixteen drinkers gave birth to infants with fetal alcohol effects; the remaining 24 drinkers delivered healthy infants. Drinking patients with healthy infants had normal concentrations of total and free testosterone, sex-hormone-binding globulin, and DHEAS, but their levels of androstenedione increased between weeks 20-40 of pregnancy. Maternal drinking leading to fetal alcohol effects was accompanied by lowered concentrations of sex-hormone-binding globulin throughout pregnancy and by low total testosterone concentrations, although the latter difference reached statistical significance only at 16-20 weeks' gestation. In contrast, drinking leading to fetal damage was associated with higher free testosterone levels between weeks 16-20 of pregnancy and lowered concentrations of DHEAS between weeks 16-32 of gestation, whereas the androstenedione levels tended to be high throughout pregnancy. These changes in androgens can be explained in part by low sex-hormone-binding globulin concentrations, an insufficient supply of DHEAS by the adrenals, and reduced peripheral conversion of androstenedione to testosterone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ylikorkala
authors.forename: U H
authors.initials: UH
authors.lastname: Stenman
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Halmesmäki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood*; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000097:blood*; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood*; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D005260:Female; D063647:Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000097:blood*; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000032:analysis*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D013739:Testosterone; D000735:Androstenedione; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate