Adrenocortical hormonal activity in 20-year-old subjects born small or appropriate for gestational age.
BACKGROUND
Altered adrenocortical activity is one suggested mechanism relating small birth size with the metabolic syndrome in adulthood. Adrenal androgen concentrations are higher in children born small (SGA) than appropriate for gestational age (AGA).


OBJECTIVE
To compare adrenocortical hormonal activity between 20-year-old subjects born SGA or AGA.


METHODS
Seventy 20-year-old subjects (35 SGA and 35 age- and gender-matched AGA controls) were studied. Serum cortisol, cortisone, corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG), glucocorticoid bioactivity (GBA), aldosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and androstenedione were measured, and the free cortisol index (FCI) was calculated.


RESULTS
The mean levels of glucocorticoid parameters, aldosterone, DHEAS or androstenedione did not differ between the SGA and AGA groups. In both groups, the males had lower cortisol (p < 0.05) and CBG levels (p < 0.01) and higher DHEAS (p < 0.01) concentrations than the females. Females who used hormonal contraceptives had higher cortisol and CBG levels (p < 0.01) but similar FCI, GBA and DHEAS levels than females who did not use contraceptives.


CONCLUSIONS
No differences in adrenocortical activity were found between 20-year-old SGA and AGA subjects. Enhanced peripubertal adrenal androgen secretion seems to disappear by early adulthood in full-term born SGA subjects. FCI and GBA are useful parameters in the evaluation of the glucocorticoid milieu during hormonal contraceptive use.
Department of Pediatrics, Kuopio University Hospital and University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
Boryana
B
Todorova
Maria
M
Salonen
Jarmo
J
Jääskeläinen
Alise
A
Tapio
Tiina
T
Jääskeläinen
Jorma
J
Palvimo
Ursula
U
Turpeinen
Esa
E
Hämäläinen
Marita
M
Räsänen
Sirpa
S
Tenhola
Raimo
R
Voutilainen
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000097:blood; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D014156:Transcortin / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D000735:Androstenedione; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D014156:Transcortin; D006854:Hydrocortisone