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This version published online on June 30, 2009
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism , doi:10.1210/jc.2009-0544
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Submitted on March 11, 2009
Accepted on June 19, 2009

The relationship between maternal and umbilical cord androgen levels and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in adolescence: A prospective cohort study

M. Hickey*, D M Sloboda, H C Atkinson, D A Doherty, S Franks, R J Norman, J P Newnham, and R Hart

School of Women's and Infants' Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia; The Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland and The National Research Centre for Growth and Development, Auckland, New Zealand; Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, United Kingdom; Robinson Institute, Research Centre for Reproductive Health, School of Paediatrics and Reproductive Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: mhickey{at}meddent.uwa.edu.au.

Context: The prenatal antecedents Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) are not known but prenatal androgen exposure is thought to contribute. This has not previously been investigated in large prospective studies of normal human pregnancy.

Objective: To establish the prospective relationship between early life androgen exposure and PCOS in adolescence.

Design: Prospective cohort study

Setting: General community

Patients or Other Participants: 2900 pregnant women recruited at 18 weeks gestation. Prenatal androgen exposure measured from maternal blood samples (at 18 and 34/36 weeks) and umbilical cord blood. Timed (day 2–5 menstrual cycle) blood samples, assessment of clinical hyperandrogenism and transabdominal ultrasound examination of ovarian morphology in 244 unselected girls from the Raine cohort aged 14–17 years.

Main Outcome Measure(s): Relationship between early life androgen exposure and PCOS in adolescence.

Results: We did not observe a statistically significant relationship between early life androgen exposure and PCOS in adolescence.

Conclusions: This is the first prospective study to evaluate the relationship between prenatal androgen exposure and PCOS in adolescence in normal pregnancy. Our findings do not support the hypothesis that maternal androgens, within the normal range for pregnancy, directly program PCOS in the offspring.
Key words: PCOS • umbilical cord androgens • Raine Study • prenatal androgens




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