Abstract
Using a membrane filter method serum concentrations of SHBG were directly measured in 187 healthy children and adolescents as well as in 42 adults. No significant sex difference was observed during infancy and in the first stages of pubertal development. Adult males were found to have significantly lower SHBG levels than females of comparable ages (1.9 ± 0.9 mg/l vs. 4.0 ± 0.5 mg/l; p < 0.05). When the SHBG levels of all subjects were related to age, a significant negative correlation (r=0.59, p < 0.001) was found. On the other hand, when only the prepubertal subjects were considered no significant correlation with age was observed. The declining trend in SHBG concentration becomes only evident after puberty stage 2. This pattern of behaviour has been also seen in another β-globulin, namely TBG. It ist possible that this decline in SHBG level is related to the estrogen/androgen balance recording a sex difference with maturation.
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Attanasio, A., Blank, B., Scheel, H. et al. Onset of sex difference in circulating levels of SHBG in humans with age. Pediatr Res 13, 1187 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197910000-00039
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197910000-00039