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Elevated ²-Human Chorionic Gonadotropin and Testosterone in Cord Serum of Male Infants of Diabetic Mothers^*

ROBERT L. BARBIERI, DANIEL SALTZMAN, MARK PHILLIPPE, JOHN S. TORDAY, REBECCA RANDALL, FREDRIC D. FRIGOLETTO and KENNETH J. RYAN

Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatri Boston, Massachusetts 02115
Brigham and Women's Hospital, the Joslin Clinic, and the Laboratory of Human Reproduction and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School Boston, Massachusetts 0211

Address requests for reprints to: Dr. Robert Barbieri, Laboratory of Human Reproduction and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, 45 Shattuck Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.

Leydig cell hyperplasia is a common histological finding in male infants of diabetic mothers. The functional correlates of this histological finding were investigated by measuring ²hCG, testosterone, androstenedione, dihydrotestosterone, and progesterone in mixed cord serum of male and female infants of diabetic mothers (n = 40) and normal mothers (n = 40) at term.

Male and female infants of diabetic mothers had significantly higher cord serum =hCG levels than male and female controls. Male infants of diabetic mothers had significantly higher cord serum testosterone concentrations than male controls, female controls, and female infants of diabetic mothers. Cord serum testosterone concentrations were similar in female infants of diabetic mothers and female controls. In the male infants of diabetic mothers, there was a significant positive correlation between ²hCG and testosterone (r = 0.64; P < 0.01). There was no significant correlation between jShCG and testosterone in the male controls (r = -0.15; P = NS). There was no significant difference in cord serum dihydrotestosterone in any group tested. Cord serum progesterone was significantly higher in the males than in the females. Cord serum androstenedione was lower in the infants of diabetic mothers than in the controls.

This study suggests that the Leydig cell hyperplasia found in male infants of diabetic mothers is due, in part, to elevated concentrations of hCG and is accompanied by elevated testosterone concentrations in the fetal compartment.

^* This work was supported by Grant HD-18292.

Ortho Pharmaceutical Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Received May 14, 1985.

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