title: Fetal plasma testosterone correlates positively with cortisol.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fetal exposure to testosterone has been implicated in programming childhood behaviour, but little is known about the determinants of fetal testosterone concentrations.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relation between fetal testosterone and maternal and fetal cortisol.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinically indicated blood samples taken from 44 human fetuses (mean gestational age 27 weeks, range 15-38), together with paired maternal samples, were analysed for testosterone and cortisol concentrations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Male fetuses had significantly higher concentrations of testosterone than females. Female but not male fetal concentrations rose significantly with gestational age. Fetal testosterone correlated positively with both fetal cortisol and maternal testosterone concentrations. Multiple regression showed that maternal testosterone and fetal cortisol were independently correlated with fetal plasma testosterone in both sexes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Unlike the norm in the adult, where testosterone production is often inhibited by cortisol, in the fetus there is a positive link between the two.
authors.affiliation: Wolfson and Weston Research Centre for Family Health, Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gitau
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Fisk
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Glover
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001805:Blood Transfusion, Intrauterine; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D011247:Pregnancy; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone; D006854:Hydrocortisone
references.citation: Pediatr Dermatol. 2000 Mar-Apr;17(2):100-4
references.pmid: 10792796
references.citation: Pediatr Res. 1999 Apr;45(4 Pt 1):494-9
references.pmid: 10203140
references.citation: J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2001 Sep;86(9):4512-9
references.pmid: 11549701
references.citation: Prog Neurobiol. 2001 Dec;65(5):427-51
references.pmid: 11689280
references.citation: Semin Neonatol. 2001 Aug;6(4):319-29
references.pmid: 11972433
references.citation: Br J Psychiatry. 2002 Jun;180:502-8
references.pmid: 12042228
references.citation: Dev Med Child Neurol. 2003 Aug;45(8):557-61
references.pmid: 12882535
references.citation: Early Hum Dev. 2004 Sep;79(2):107-18
references.pmid: 15324991
references.citation: J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1981 Jul;53(1):34-8
references.pmid: 6263939
references.citation: J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1983 Sep;57(3):671-3
references.pmid: 6348068
references.citation: Psychoneuroendocrinology. 1984;9(1):3-11
references.pmid: 6739663
references.citation: Prenat Diagn. 1985 May-Jun;5(3):175-81
references.pmid: 4022941
references.citation: Neurology. 1987 Apr;37(4):711-5
references.pmid: 3561787
references.citation: Horm Behav. 1988 Mar;22(1):76-89
references.pmid: 3350479
references.citation: J Genet Psychol. 1989 Mar;150(1):101-12
references.pmid: 2496195
references.citation: J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1991 Sep;73(3):525-32
references.pmid: 1908479
references.citation: Lancet. 1994 Jul 9;344(8915):77-81
references.pmid: 7912391
references.citation: Brain Cogn. 1995 Oct;29(1):85-100
references.pmid: 8845125
references.citation: Lab Anim Sci. 1995 Oct;45(5):567-73
references.pmid: 8569159
references.citation: J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1998 Aug;83(8):2916-20
references.pmid: 9709969
references.citation: Lancet. 1998 Aug 29;352(9129):707-8
references.pmid: 9728994
references.citation: J Soc Gynecol Investig. 1999 Jan-Feb;6(1):50-4
references.pmid: 10065426
references.citation: J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2001 Jan;86(1):104-9
references.pmid: 11231985