Low Progesterone and Low Estradiol Levels Associate With Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms in Men

Abstract

Context Male sex is a major risk factor for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) but few studies have addressed associations between sex hormone levels and AAA. Objective To describe the associations between serum sex steroids and early, screening-detected AAA in men. Design, Setting and Participants We validated a high-sensitivity liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry assay for comprehensive serum sex hormone profiling. This assay was then employed in a case-control study including 147 men with AAA (infrarenal aorta ≥30 mm) and 251 AAA-free controls recruited at the general population-based ultrasound screening for AAA in 65-year-old Swedish men. Main Outcome Measures Associations between dehydroepiandrosterone, progesterone, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, androstenedione, estrone, testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and estradiol and AAA presence. Results Dehydroepiandrosterone, progesterone, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, testosterone, and estradiol, but not the other hormones, were lower in men with AAA. In models with adjustments for known AAA risk factors and comorbidity, only progesterone (odds ratio per SD decrease 1.62 [95% CI 1.18-2.22]) and estradiol (1.40 [95% CI 1.04-1.87]) remained inversely associated with the presence of AAA. Progesterone and estradiol contributed with independent additive information for prediction of AAA presence; compared with men with high (above median) levels, men with low (below median) levels of both hormones had a 4-fold increased odds ratio for AAA (4.06 [95% CI 2.25-7.31]). Conclusions Measured by a high-performance sex steroid assay, progesterone and estradiol are inversely associated with AAA in men, independently of known risk factors. Future studies should explore whether progesterone and estradiol, which are important reproductive hormones in women, are protective in human AAA.

Cardiometabolic Risk Factors and Endogenous Sex Hormones in Postmenopausal Women: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…The study design has been described in more detail elsewhere [ 23 ]. Using the study population, we analyzed 8 different sex hormones (17-α-hydroxyprogesterone, estrone, DHT, estradiol, DHEA, androstenedione, testosterone, and progesterone) with a validated high-sensitivity liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry assay [ 24 ] in 179 women aged 55 years and older at the first study visit and who also participated in the second visit. Eligible for the present cross-sectional study were women who did not use systemic hormone replacement therapy.…”

“…All blood samples were immediately frozen at –82 °C. Serum concentrations of estradiol, estrone, DHEA, DHT, androstenedione, progesterone, testosterone, and 17-α-hydroxyprogesterone were assessed with a validated high-sensitivity liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry assay in 2018 [ 24 ] in the described subgroup of 179 participants. Blood lipids, creatinine, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), and concentrations of insulin and glucose (at fasting) were measured.…”

Physiological levels of estradiol limit murine osteoarthritis progression

“…The serum was extracted and stored at −80°C until use. Steroids were extracted from serum (200 µL) and concentrations of testosterone were analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry as previously described (HPLC-MS; Acquity UPLC system and TQ-XS triple quadrupole mass spectrometer) ( Ohlsson et al 2022 ).…”

Gut microbiota affects prostate cancer risk through steroid hormone biosynthesis

“…The steroid analyses of plasma samples were conducted using a LC-MS/MS according to an established method. 19 Measured steroids included androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), dihydrotestosterone (DHT), estradiol, estrone, progesterone, 17-α-hydroxyprogesterone (17-α-OHP), and testosterone (T). In addition, the DHT/T ratio was calculated for the statistical analyses.…”