Classic and 11-oxygenated androgens in serum and saliva across adulthood: a cross-sectional study analyzing the impact of age, body mass index, and diurnal and menstrual cycle variation. Issue 1 (10th January 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Schiffer, Lina; Kempegowda, Punith; Sitch, Alice J; Adaway, Joanne E; Shaheen, Fozia; Ebbehoj, Andreas; Singh, Sumitabh; McTaggart, Malcom P; O'Reilly, Michael W; Prete, Alessandro; Hawley, James M; Keevil, Brian G; Bancos, Irina; Taylor, Angela E; Arlt, Wiebke
• Is Part Of: European journal of endocrinology. Volume 188:Issue 1(2023)
• Publication Date: 2023-01-10
• Subjects: 11-oxygenated androgens -- serum steroids -- salivary steroids -- liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry -- body mass index; Endocrinology -- Periodicals; 616.4005
• DOI: 10.1093/ejendo/lvac017
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0804-4643

Abstract

Abstract: Objective: 11-oxygenated androgens significantly contribute to the circulating androgen pool. Understanding the physiological variation of 11-oxygenated androgens and their determinants is essential for clinical interpretation, for example, in androgen excess conditions. We quantified classic and 11-oxygenated androgens in serum and saliva across the adult age and body mass index (BMI) range, also analyzing diurnal and menstrual cycle-dependent variation. Design: Cross-sectional. Morning serum samples were collected from 290 healthy volunteers (125 men, 22-95 years; 165 women, 21-91 years). Morning saliva samples were collected by a sub-group (51 women and 32 men). Diurnal saliva profiles were collected by 13 men. Twelve women collected diurnal saliva profiles and morning saliva samples on 7 consecutive days during both follicular and luteal menstrual cycle phases. Methods: Serum and salivary steroids were quantified by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry profiling assays. Results: Serum classic androgens decreased with age-adjusted BMI, for example, %change kg/m 2 for 5α-dihydrotestosterone: men −5.54% (95% confidence interval (CI) −8.10 to −2.98) and women −1.62% (95%CI −3.16 to −0.08). By contrast, 11-oxygenated androgens increased with BMI, for example, %change kg/m 2 for 11-ketotestosterone: men 3.05% (95%CI 0.08-6.03) and women 1.68% (95%CI −0.44 to 3.79). Conversely, classic androgens decreased with age in both men and women, while 11-oxygenated androgens did not. Salivary androgens showed a diurnal pattern in men and in the follicular phase in women; in the luteal phase, only 11-oxygenated androgens showed diurnal variation. Conclusions: Classic androgens decrease while active 11-oxygenated androgens increase with increasing BMI, pointing toward the importance of adipose tissue mass for the activation of 11-oxygenated androgens. Classic but not 11-oxygenated androgens decline with age.