Estrogen and androgen concentrations are not lower in the umbilical cord serum of pre-eclamptic pregnancies.
Reductions in breast cancer risk observed in daughters of pre-eclamptic pregnancies are hypothesized to be mediated by lower in utero estrogen concentrations. Whereas maternal urinary estriol excretion is generally lower in pre-eclamptic women, results for maternal blood concentrations are equivocal, and little is known about estrogen concentrations in the cord of pre-eclamptic pregnancies. Unconjugated estrogen and androgen concentrations were measured in mixed umbilical cord sera from 86 pre-eclamptic and 86 uncomplicated, singleton pregnancies, matched on length of gestation, maternal age, parity, and type of delivery. Pre-eclamptic and uncomplicated pregnancies were similar in maternal age, prepregnancy weight, maternal height, type of delivery, use and type of anesthesia, and sex of offspring. Estriol, estradiol, estrone, dehydroepiandrosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate, androstenedione, and testosterone concentrations measured in cord sera were not significantly different in pre-eclamptics compared with uncomplicated pregnancies. Estriol was 9% lower (P = 0.43), and all of the other hormones were actually higher in pre-eclamptics with testosterone and estradiol approaching statistical significance (P = 0.06 and P = 0.12, respectively). These data do not support the hypothesis that the lower breast cancer risk in daughters of pre-eclamptic pregnancies is explained by lower in utero estrogen exposure.
Troisi
Rebecca
R
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. troisir@mail.nih.gov
Potischman
Nancy
N
Johnson
Christine Neuser
CN
Roberts
James M
JM
Lykins
David
D
Harger
Gail
G
Markovic
Nina
N
Siiteri
Pentti
P
Hoover
Robert N
RN
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000728:Androgens / Q000097:blood*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D012307:Risk Factors
D000728:Androgens; D004967:Estrogens