Androgen receptor gene polymorphism and sex hormones in elderly men: the Tromsø study.
The aim of this study was to examine whether CAG/GGN repeats are significant modulators of serum concentrations of total and free testosterone (T) as well as of luteinizing hormone (LH) in elderly men. Sixty-nine 60- to 80-year-old men with subnormal T levels (< or = 11.0 nmol L(-1)) and 104 men with normal T levels taking part in a nested case-control study were used for these analyses. Sex hormones were measured and free T was calculated. The CAG and GGN polymorphisms in the androgen receptor gene were determined by polymerase chain reaction and subsequent direct sequencing. There were no differences in the CAG and GGN repeat lengths between the groups. In cross-sectional analyses of the whole cohort, total and free T were positively associated with CAG length (all P < 0.05) before, but not after, waist circumference or body mass index was added to the model. CAG repeat lengths were weakly, but not independently, associated with total and free T. These findings indicate that when clinically evaluating T and LH levels in elderly men, the CAG and GGN repeat lengths do not need to be taken into consideration.
Skjaerpe
Paal André
PA
Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tromsø, Tromsø 9037, Norway.
Giwercman
Yvonne L
YL
Giwercman
Aleksander
A
Svartberg
Johan
J
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000235:genetics*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*; D018911:Trinucleotide Repeats
D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D013739:Testosterone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone