A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

Serum Testosterone Levels in 3-Month-Old Boys Predict Their Semen Quality as Young Adults




AuthorsHenriksen Louise Scheutz, Petersen Jørgen Holm, Skakkebæk Niels E., Jørgensen, Niels, Virtanen Helena E., Priskorn Lærke, Juul Anders, Toppari Jorma, Main Katharina M.

PublisherENDOCRINE SOC

Publication year2022

JournalJournal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism

Journal name in sourceJOURNAL OF CLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM

Journal acronymJ CLIN ENDOCR METAB

Article numberdgac173

Number of pages11

ISSN0021-972X

eISSN1945-7197

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgac173(external)

Web address https://academic.oup.com/jcem/advance-article/doi/10.1210/clinem/dgac173/6552307(external)

Self-archived copy’s web addresshttps://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/175225413(external)


Abstract

Context

It remains unknown how the postnatal activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in infancy, also known as "minipuberty", relates to adult testis function.

Objective

To investigate how markers of reproductive function in 3-month-old boys correlate with adult reproductive health parameters.

Methods

This population-based birth cohort study (the Copenhagen Mother-Child cohort), conducted at Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark, included 259 boys examined once around 3 months of age and again at 18 to 20 years. Reproductive hormones, penile length, testis volume, and semen quality were analyzed. Minipubertal markers of testis function (by tertiles, T1-T3) were explored as predictors of adult semen quality using linear regression models. Associations between reproductive outcomes in infancy and young adulthood were estimated by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), describing how well measurements in infancy correlate with those in adulthood.

Results

Serum testosterone concentration in infancy was positively associated with adult total sperm count. Median (IQR) total sperm count was 84 (54-138) million spermatozoa for boys in T1, 141 (81-286) million spermatozoa in T2, and 193 (56-287) million spermatozoa in T3. We found the highest ICC for FSH (0.41; 95% CI, 0.26-0.57), while ICCs for inhibin B, SHBG, penile length, and testis volume ranged between 0.24 and 0.27. ICCs for LH and for total and free testosterone were lower and statistically nonsignificant.

Conclusion

Serum testosterone in infancy was a predictor of adult total sperm count. Other reproductive hormones and genital measures showed good correlation between infancy and adulthood, suggesting that an individual's reproductive setpoint starts shortly after birth in boys and persists until adulthood.


Downloadable publication

This is an electronic reprint of the original article.
This reprint may differ from the original in pagination and typographic detail. Please cite the original version.





Last updated on 2024-26-11 at 20:53