The Adrenarche: Prolactin, Gonadotropins, Adrenal Androgens, and Cortisol

In order to study the adrenarche, serum concentrations of PRL, FSH, LH, androstenedione, 11β-hydroxyandrostenedione (11βA), dehydroepiandrosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, and cortisol were quantified in 106 children from 2–12 years of age and in adults. PRL and 11βA have not previously been reported in a large group of prepubertal children with respect to age. PRL, cortisol, and 11βA showed no significant changes during these years. Androstenedione was present in relatively high concentrations at the youngest ages and increased gradually, whereas FSH and LH rose peripubertally at ages 11 and 12. In contrast, dehydroepiandrosterone and its sulfate showed aprogressive increase with age in boys and a 2-phase increase in girls, with the greatest relative change in the dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate concentration occurring between ages 2 and 5 in girls. These data indicate that significant changes in adrenal androgen secretion occur well before the gonadal changes of puberty in both sexes. The Δ4steroids Aand 11βA were present in relatively high concentrations in theyoungest children, whereas the Δ5 steroids dehydroepiandrosterone and dehydro-epiandrosterone sulfate tended to increase rapidly in concentration with increasing age beginning with relatively lowvalues in theyoungest children. The Δ4/Δ5steroid concentration ratio, therefore, decreased progressively with age.This indicates early prominenceof 3β-ol-isomerase dehydrogenase activity. The data suggest PRL has little or norole in thehuman in control of adrenarche.