title: [Urinary excretion of 6-sulphatoxymelatonin in normal subjects: statistical approach to the influence of age and sex].
abstract: A radioimmunoassay of urinary 6-sulphatoxymelatonin (a-MT6s) was performed in 90 normal subjects: 44 males and 46 females (17-67 years). Patients treated with betablokers or antidepressants were not included in this study. Urine samples were collected over three periods of time: 7 to 11 p.m., 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., and 7 to 11 a.m. Between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., the subjects slept in their normal environment and had not ingested alcohol for 24 hours. We searched for a possible relation between urinary a-MT6s excretion (expressed in ng/l/h) and age. From 7 to 11 p.m. and from 7 to 11 a.m. no significant relation could be found. On the contrary, between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. there was a significant relation indicating decrease of a-MT6s secretion with increasing age. Several linear or non-linear curve patters were tested: Boltzmann sigmoid (1(st), 2(nd), and 3(rd) degree), polynomial curves. The Boltzmann sigmoid showed the best fit judging by the r-squared value (0.152) and the runs test (p=0.64). On this curve the inflection point was located at 53 4 years (SDM, standard deviation of the mean). From 19 to 45 years, the upper sigmoid plateau was located at 1381 91 ng/l/h (SDM). The decrease was found between 45 and 60 years and the lower sigmoid plateau then stabilized at 467 370 ng/l/h (\SDM). In the study group, there was no significant difference between men and women according to the Mann-Withney test. Finally, use of oral contraceptives did not affect urinary a-MT6s (Mann-Withney).
authors.affiliation: Service Universitaire d'Endocrinologie, Unité de Psychoneuroendocrinologie, CHU Sart- Tilman, B-4000 Liège Belgique.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Hendrick
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Crasson
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Hagelstein
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bruls
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Legros
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000652:urine*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000652:urine*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: C054513:6-sulfatoxymelatonin; D008550:Melatonin
vernacular_title: Approche statistique de l'influence de l'âge et du sexe sur l'excrétion de 6-sulfatoxymélatonine urinaire (a-MT6s) chez l'individu normal.