Maternal Hormone Levels and Perinatal Characteristics: Implications for Testicular Cancer

Abstract

Purpose-It has been hypothesized that the risk of testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) is associated with maternal hormone levels. To examine the hypothesis, some studies have used perinatal factors as surrogates for hormone levels. To determine the validity of this assumption, hormone-perinatal factor relationships were examined in the Collaborative Perinatal Project.Methods-Maternal estradiol, estriol and testosterone levels in first and third trimester serum samples were correlated with perinatal factors among 300 mothers representative of populations at high (white Americans) or low (black Americans) risk of TGCT.Results-Among white participants, testosterone levels, were negatively associated with maternal height (p<0.01) and age (p=0.02), and positively associated with maternal weight (p=0.02) and BMI (p<0.01), while estradiol levels were negatively associated with height (p=0.03) and positively associated with son's birthweight (p=0.04). Among black participants, estriol levels were negatively associated with maternal weight (p=0.01), BMI (p=0.02) and gestational age p<0.01), and positively associated with son's birthweight (p<0.01), length (p=0.04) and head circumference (p=0.03).Conclusions-These findings indicate that the use of perinatal characteristics as surrogates for hormone levels should be limited to a specific ethnic group. Among white men, previously reported associations of TGCT with maternal weight and age may be due to lower maternal testosterone levels.

Protein disulfide isomerase is a multifunctional regulator of estrogenic status in target cells

“…S3B), is a high-capacity intracellular estrogen-binding protein and can modulate the intracellular concentrations of estrogens as well as the magnitude and duration of their actions. It is known that the levels of estrogens may oscillate in the human body due to changes in diet composition [33,34] and physiological conditions [35,36]. Our findings (Figs.…”

Genetic variation in hormone metabolizing genes and risk of testicular germ cell tumors

“…Increased risk associated with excessive nausea early in pregnancy [4], low parity, and being a dizygous twin suggests that maternal estrogen levels could mediate TGCT risk [5]. Alternatively, maternal testosterone levels may also affect risk, consistent with the evidence that AfricanAmerican mothers have significantly higher testosterone levels in pregnancy than do white mothers [6,7]. Exogenous maternal estrogenic exposure has also been suggested to increase risk based on reports of an increased incidence of cryptorchism in sons exposed to diethylstilbestrol while in utero [8][9][10][11].…”

“…One of the primary interests in exogenous hormonal exposures has been the possible estrogenic and/or antiandrogenic effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals [14]. Despite the great deal of interest, however, epidemiologic studies examining the hormonal hypotheses have provided inconsistent results [6,7,11,[41][42][43][44][45]. As hormonal exposures may be modulated by individual metabolism, the current study sought to examine variation in genes in the hormone metabolism pathway.…”

Birth characteristics and age at menarche: results from the dietary intervention study in children (DISC)

“…Although our sample lacks racial/ethnic diversity, previous research has suggested that perinatal characteristics as surrogates for hormone levels should be limited to a specific ethnic group due to significant variation in effect [49], and hence the racial homogeneity of our sample is a strength.…”