Precocious adrenarche in children born appropriate for gestational age: is there a difference between genders?
We aimed to determine whether precocious adrenarche (PA) has a different impact on screening tests for metabolic issues and pubertal timing in boys and girls born appropriate for gestational age (AGA). Puberty and initial metabolic screening results of 47 girls and 23 boys with PA born AGA followed up from our outpatient endocrinology clinic between May 2000 and October 2009 were reviewed. Initial anthropometric measurements except for body mass index standard deviation score (SDS) being higher in boys than girls (p = 0.01), bone age (BA) SDS, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, and plasma lipids were similar between sexes. Hormone levels except for significantly higher dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels in boys than girls (p = 0.0006) were also similar between the sexes. BA SDS and BA/chronological age were significantly advanced (p < 0.05) with respect to initial evaluation in 28 girls at onset of gonadarche unlike the case in 13 boys with PA (p > 0.05). In conclusions, PA in children born AGA does not herald any significant differences with respect to adverse metabolic screening results between sexes, and it appears to be a discrete process from onset of puberty in girls unlike boys, in whom it is likely a variant of normal puberty.
Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Pediatric Endocrine Unit, Istanbul University, Fatih, 34093 Istanbul, Turkey. aucar76@yahoo.com
Ahmet
A
Uçar
Nurçin
N
Saka
Firdevs
F
Baş
Rüveyde
R
Bundak
Hülya
H
Günöz
Feyza
F
Darendeliler
D019326:17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone / Q000097:blood; D050499:Adrenarche / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001724:Birth Weight; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001846:Bone Development; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D011627:Puberty / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology; D011629:Puberty, Precocious / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D007328:Insulin; D014280:Triglycerides; D000735:Androstenedione; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D019326:17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone