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Serum Androgen Bioactivity in Cryptorchid and Noncryptorchid Boys during the Postnatal Reproductive Hormone Surge

Biomedicum Helsinki, Institute of Biomedicine/Physiology (T.R., O.A.J.), and Department of Clinical Chemistry (O.A.J.), University of Helsinki, and Helsinki University Central Hospital, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland; Departments of Pediatrics and Physiology (M.K., H.V., A.-M.H., J.T.), University of Turku, FIN-20520 Turku, Finland; and Hospital for Children and Adolescents (L.D.), Helsinki University Central Hospital, FIN-00029 Helsinki, Finland

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Olli A. Jänne, M.D., Ph.D., Biomedicum Helsinki, Institute of Biomedicine (Physiology), University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 63, Haartmaninkatu 8, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland. E-mail: olli.janne{at}helsinki.fi.

The first postnatal months of life in boys are characterized by activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis that results in the well depicted surge of reproductive hormones. Serum testosterone levels at that time are high, but infants do not display signs of virilization, and subsequently there is only indirect evidence that circulating androgens during the surge are biologically active. We used a recombinant cell bioassay to determine serum androgen bioactivity in 80 3-month-old boys born after full-term pregnancies (37–42 wk) in whom localization of the testes was determined by palpation after birth and at a mean age of 3 months. At that age, serum androgen bioactivity ranged from less than 0.8 to 1.9 nM testosterone equivalents and correlated with serum testosterone concentration (r = 0.71; P < 0.0001; n = 34), free androgen index (r = 0.80; P < 0.0001; n = 34), age (r = -0.29; P < 0.01; n = 80), and localization of the testes (r = -0.24; P < 0.05; n = 80). Moreover, all boys in this study with detectable androgen bioactivity (n = 26) had testes located in scrotal or high scrotal position (n = 64), whereas all boys (n = 16) with at least 1 suprascrotal, inguinal, or nonpalpable testis had nonmeasurable androgen bioactivity in serum (P < 0.01). We conclude that 3-month-old boys are exposed to biological effects of androgens during the postnatal activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis, and that this exposure may be reduced in boys with at least 1 testis located superior to the scrotum.

This work was supported in part by grants from Medical Research Council (Academy of Finland), National Technology Agency, Sigrid Jusélius Foundation, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Foundation for Pediatric Research, European Union Contract QLK4-1999-01422, and Turku University Central Hospital.

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