Association between Body Mass Index and Serum Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate Level in 8-Year-Old Girls

Abstract

Background: Adiposity may play a role as a potential trigger for adrenarche. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between body mass index (BMI) and serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) level. Methods:The medical records of 8-year-old girls who presented to our clinic between 2014 and 2016 with concerns regarding pubertal changes were retrospectively reviewed. The 192 girls were divided into two groups depending on activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. Group I included 77 subjects with a breast Tanner stage 1 with unknown HPG axis or thelarche without activated HPG axis. Group II included 115 subjects with activated HPG axis. Serum DHEAS level ≥1.1 µmol/L was regarded as biochemical adrenarche. Results: Based on correlation analyses, BMI standard deviation score (SDS) was positively correlated with height SDS, bone age divided by chronological age (BA/CA), and DHEAS level in all subjects (r=0.269, r=0.270, r=0.298; all P<0.001, respectively). BMI SDS was negatively correlated with peak luteinizing hormone level in group II (r=-0.236, P=0.011). Based on multiple linear regression analyses, BMI SDS was associated with serum DHEAS level in all subjects (β=0.280, P<0.001), group I (β=0.415, P=0.001), and group II (β=0.206, P=0.030). DHEAS level was also associated with BA/CA in all subjects (β=0.402, P<0.001), group I (β=0.494, P<0.001), and group II (β=0.347, P<0.001). Conclusion: BMI SDS was associated with DHEAS level, which was associated with BA/CA. Childhood obesity may influence the development of adrenarche, which may contribute to advanced skeletal maturation.

Persistent weight gain between 0 and 4 years of age is associated with higher dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate levels at 7 years old: Data from the Generation XXI birth cohort

“…The mechanisms underlying adrenarche's regulation and PA's pathophysiology remain poorly understood. Previous reports showed an association between higher DHEAS levels in prepuberty (5–8 years old) and two phenomena: childhood obesity and intrauterine growth restriction 5–12 . Both lower birth weight and childhood adiposity predicted higher DHEAS levels at 7 years of age 8,12 and the odds of having a serum DHEAS above the 75th percentile doubled in 7‐year‐old obese children in comparison with their nonobese peers 8,12 …”

“…Previous reports showed an association between higher DHEAS levels in prepuberty (5-8 years old) and two phenomena: childhood obesity and intrauterine growth restriction. [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] Both lower birth weight and childhood adiposity predicted higher DHEAS levels at 7 years of age 8,12 and the odds of having a serum DHEAS above the 75th percentile doubled in 7-year-old obese children in comparison with their nonobese peers. 8,12 So far, few studies have explored the relationship between postnatal growth and nutritional status and DHEAS levels, 6,7,10,11 and most research has been focused on specific ages 6,8,9,11 rather than capturing the overall shape of weight gain.…”

DHEAS and nutritional status among Sidama, Ngandu, and Aka children: Effects of cortisol and implications for adrenarche

“…This suggests that, like menarche or spermarche (Gluckman & Hanson, 2006), environmental factors may influence the patterning of DHEA/S production. For example, nutritional status, particularly body mass index (BMI) and/or adiposity, has been frequently posited as such a factor (Corvalán et al, 2013; Goddings et al, 2021; l'Allemand et al, 2002; Na et al, 2018; Remer & Manz, 1999; Santos‐Silva et al, 2022; Shi et al, 2009; cf. Gonzales et al, 1994), as it may be an important indicator of eco‐cultural stressors during development.…”