title: Serum lipoproteins and endogenous sex hormones in early life: observations in children with different lipoprotein profiles.
abstract: Relationships of endogenous testosterone, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone, estradiol, and progesterone to lipoprotein cholesterol levels were examined concurrently in four groups of children (N = 375, age range 6 to 18 years) whose earlier VLDL-cholesterol and/or LDL-cholesterol levels were in the extreme quintiles or quartiles. In terms of significant correlations, estradiol related inversely with VLDL-cholesterol in prepubertal boys (-0.28) and pubertal girls (-0.34), while estradiol/testosterone ratios related inversely with LDL-cholesterol in pubertal girls (-0.27). HDL-cholesterol related negatively with testosterone in pubertal boys (-0.24) and positively with estradiol in pubertal girls (0.40). With respect to contrasting lipoprotein profiles, high LDL-cholesterol groups had significantly high progesterone/estradiol ratio (boys: 8.6 v 6.9; girls: 8.3 v 5.1), high progesterone (girls only: 0.40 v 0.29 ng/mL) and low estradiol/testosterone ratio (girls: 0.15 v 0.21; prepubertal boys: 0.09 v 0.21). Pubertal girls from high VLDL-cholesterol groups showed markedly low estradiol (71 v 120 pg/mL) and estradiol/testosterone ratio (0.11 v 0.19). These results emphasize the role of endogenous sex hormones in modulating lipoprotein concentrations as well as in the sexual divergence of lipoprotein profiles between males and females following puberty.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Srinivasan
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Sundaram
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Williamson
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Webber
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Berenson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000097:blood; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood; D008079:Lipoproteins, VLDL / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D011627:Puberty; D044469:Racial Groups; D012737:Sex Factors; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D008074:Lipoproteins; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D008079:Lipoproteins, VLDL; D013739:Testosterone; D000735:Androstenedione; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D002784:Cholesterol