title: Increased Steroid Excretion in Children with Extremely Low Birth Weight at a Median Age of 9.8 years.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Events during foetal or early extrauterine life may affect bodily structure and/or functions and even pave the way for adult diseases.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To find whether extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants differ from healthy controls regarding the excretion of steroid metabolites.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study compared 17 female and 10 male ELBW infants, all prepubertal, aged 8-11 years, birth weight <1,000 g, with 27 age- and sex-matched controls. All were healthy at the time of the study. Height, weight and BMI did not differ between the groups. Results were adjusted according to body surface area. 36 urinary steroid metabolites were quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the ELBW girls 33/36 steroid metabolites were higher (19 significantly) than in the controls. All 36 steroid metabolites were higher in the ELBW boys (9 significantly) than in the controls. Sums of mineralocorticoid precursors, metabolites descriptive for cortisol and parameters of adrenal androgen production were significantly higher in ELBW infants (both sexes). Only the sum of the metabolites known to be illustrative for adrenal 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity was not different.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prepubertal ELBW children have an augmented urinary excretion of adrenal androgens, cortisol and mineralocorticoid precursors. These findings corroborate and help to explain the link between early-life adversity and subsequent adrenocortical function.
authors.affiliation: Paediatric Endocrinology Division, Children's Hospital, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gohlke
authors.forename: Stefan A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Wudy
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stutte
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bartmann
authors.forename: Michaela F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Woelfle
mesh_terms: D042842:11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases / Q000378:metabolism; D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D000728:Androgens / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D052577:Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight / Q000652:urine*; D008297:Male; D008901:Mineralocorticoids / Q000097:blood; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013256:Steroids / Q000652:urine*
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D008901:Mineralocorticoids; D013256:Steroids; D042842:11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases; D006854:Hydrocortisone