title: Effects of adrenal androgens during the prenatal period on the second to fourth digit ratio in school-aged children.
abstract: We investigated the relationship between the levels of adrenal steroid hormones in cord blood and the second to fourth digit ratio (2D/4D), which is regarded as an indirect method to investigate the putative effects of prenatal exposure to androgens, in school-aged children.
  
  
  
  Of the 514 mother-child pairs who participated in the prospective cohort study of birth in Sapporo between 2002 and 2005, the following adrenal steroid hormone levels in 294 stored cord blood samples (135 males and 159 females) were measured; cortisol, cortisone, androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). A total of 190 out of 350 children who were currently school-aged and contactable for this survey sent back photocopies of their palms for 2D/4D measurements.
  
  
  
  2D/4D in all right hands, left hands, and mean values was significantly lower in males than in females (p<0.01). DHEA levels were significantly higher in females. A multivariate regression model showed that 2D/4D negatively correlated with DHEA in males only (p<0.01). No correlations were observed in the other adrenal steroid hormones tested in males or in any adrenal steroid hormones in females.
  
  
  
  DHEA is mainly secreted in large amounts by the adrenal gland and is transformed into active sex-steroid hormones in peripheral tissues. The present study demonstrated that sex differences in digits were influenced by adrenal androgens during the prenatal period, possibly through intracrinological processes for androgen receptors located in fetal cartilaginous tissues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of Yamanashi Graduate School of Medical Science, Japan; Department of Urology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan. Electronic address: tmitsui@yamanashi.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Takahiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mitsui
authors.affiliation: Hokkaido University Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsuko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Araki
authors.affiliation: Hokkaido University Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Japan.
authors.forename: Houman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Goudarzi
authors.affiliation: Hokkaido University Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Japan.
authors.forename: Chihiro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Miyashita
authors.affiliation: Hokkaido University Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Japan.
authors.forename: Sachiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Seiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kitta
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Kimihiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Moriya
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazutoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Keita
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morioka
authors.affiliation: Hokkaido University Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Japan.
authors.forename: Reiko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kishi
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shinohara
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of Yamanashi Graduate School of Medical Science, Japan.
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Kushiro Rosai Hospital, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nonomura
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D000728:Androgens / Q000097:blood*; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000097:blood; D003348:Cortisone / Q000097:blood; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D000735:Androstenedione; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D003348:Cortisone; D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: 2D/4D; Adrenal; Androgen; DHEA; Prenatal; Sex differentiation