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Androstenediol predicted diaphyseal bone strength during late puberty
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Late-pubertal diaphyseal bone mass, modeling and strength were predicted by renal excretion levels of androstenediol that were collected from healthy adolescents two years before puberty onset.
The researchers examined whether prepubertal adrenal androgen metabolite excretion rates were associated with late-pubertal diaphyseal bone strength in 45 healthy adolescents. Each adolescent had a 24-hour urine sample collected when aged 8 years and proximal forearm bone and muscle area measurements by peripheral quantitative CT when aged 16 years. The researchers analyzed specific prepubertal hormone predictors, including dehydroepiandrosterone and 16-hydroxylated downstream metabolites; total androgen and glucocorticoid metabolites; cortisol; 5-androstene-3 beta; 6 beta-hydroxycortisol; and androstenediol.
Sex- and age-specific androstenediol level was the only prepubertal hormone that predicted late-pubertal diaphyseal bone strength (beta=12.2; P=.002), bone mineral content (beta=2.2; P=.04) and bone modeling (periosteal circumference: beta=0.67, P=.002; cortical area: beta=2.15, P=.02). Further, 5% to 10% of late-pubertal diaphyseal radius variability could be explained by androstenediol, according to the study.
Remer T. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009;94:575-578.