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Cancer Causes & Control
Published in: Cancer Causes & Control 4/2011

01-04-2011 | Original paper

Birth characteristics and female sex hormone concentrations during adolescence: results from the Dietary Intervention Study in Children

Authors: Elizabeth H. Ruder, Terryl J. Hartman, Michael J. Rovine, Joanne F. Dorgan

Published in: Cancer Causes & Control | Issue 4/2011

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Abstract

Background

Birth characteristics and adult hormone concentrations influence breast cancer risk, but little is known about the influence of birth characteristics on hormone concentrations, particularly during adolescence.

Methods

We evaluated the association of birth characteristics (birth weight, birth length, and gestational age) with serum sex hormone concentrations during late childhood and adolescence in 278 female participants of the Dietary Intervention Study in Children. Repeated measures analysis of variance models were used to assess the relationships of birth characteristics and serum estrogens and androgens at five different time points over a mean period of 7 years.

Results

In analyses that did not take into account time from blood draw until menarche, birth weight was inversely associated with pre-menarche concentrations of estradiol, estrone sulfate, androstenedione, testosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS). In the post-menarche analyses, birth weight was not significantly associated with concentration of any of the hormones under investigation. Birth length and gestational age were not associated with hormone concentrations before or after menarche.

Conclusion

Birth weight is inversely associated with sex hormone concentrations before menarche in the model unadjusted for time from blood draw until menarche.

Impact

The in utero environment has long-term influences on the hormonal milieu, which could potentially contribute to breast cancer risk.
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Metadata
Title
Birth characteristics and female sex hormone concentrations during adolescence: results from the Dietary Intervention Study in Children
Authors
Elizabeth H. Ruder
Terryl J. Hartman
Michael J. Rovine
Joanne F. Dorgan
Publication date
01-04-2011
Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Published in
Cancer Causes & Control / Issue 4/2011
Print ISSN: 0957-5243
Electronic ISSN: 1573-7225
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-011-9734-7

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