Abstract
It has been suggested that rate of estrogen formation was higher in patients with Androgen Resistance Syndrome (ARS). This work was designed to find out if peripheral aromatase activity could be related to a defect in androgen action in prepubertal children with male pseudohermaphroditism. Fibroblast estrogen production was assayed by a highly specific enzymatic determination. Foreskin fibroblast strains were raised from 27 children with complete (C.ARS) or partial (P.ARS) androgen resistance as defined by dihydrotestosterone binding activity in cells. Results (mean ± SD) are expressed as pmoles estrone/mg proteins synthetized per day when cultured fibroblasts are incubated with Δ4-androstenedione.
These results show that -peripheral aromatase activity is low before puberty -fibroblast estrogen synthesis is significantly increased in prepubertal children with partial or complete ARS. Our data suggest that low utilization of androgens by target cells stimulates the production of estrogen. Peripheral aromatase activity can thus be considered as a marker of androgen resistance in prepubertal children with male pseudohermaphroditism.
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Chabab, A., Sultan, C. Peripheral aromatase activity is a marker of androgen resistance in prepubertal children. Pediatr Res 18, 1214 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198411000-00083
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198411000-00083