Salivary androgens in adolescence and their value as a marker of puberty: results from the SCAMP cohort
Issued Date
2023-12-01
Resource Type
eISSN
20493614
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85181193547
Journal Title
Endocrine Connections
Volume
12
Issue
12
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Endocrine Connections Vol.12 No.12 (2023)
Suggested Citation
Patjamontri S., Spiers A., Smith R.B., Shen C., Adaway J., Keevil B.G., Toledano M.B., Ahmed S.F. Salivary androgens in adolescence and their value as a marker of puberty: results from the SCAMP cohort. Endocrine Connections Vol.12 No.12 (2023). doi:10.1530/EC-23-0084 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/95795
Title
Salivary androgens in adolescence and their value as a marker of puberty: results from the SCAMP cohort
Corresponding Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Context: Salivary androgens represent non-invasive biomarkers of puberty that may have utility in clinical and population studies. Objective: To understand normal age-related variation in salivary sex steroids and demonstrate their correlation to pubertal development in young adolescents. Design, setting and participants: School-based cohort study of 1495 adolescents at two time points for collecting saliva samples approximately 2 years apart. Outcome measures: The saliva samples were analyzed for five androgens (testosterone, androstenedione (A4), 17-hydroxyprogesterone, 11-ketotestosterone and 11β-hydroxyandrostenedione) using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry; in addition, salivary dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and oestradiol (OE2) were analysed by ELISA. The pubertal staging was self-reported using the Pubertal Development Scale (PDS). Results: In 1236 saliva samples from 903 boys aged between 11 and 16 years, salivary androgens except DHEA exhibited an increasing trend with an advancing age (ANOVA, P < 0.001), with salivary testosterone and A4 concentration showing the strongest correlation (r = 0.55, P < 0.001 and r = 0.48, P < 0.001, respectively). In a subgroup analysis of 155 and 63 saliva samples in boys and girls, respectively, morning salivary testosterone concentrations showed the highest correlation with composite PDS scores and voice-breaking category from PDS self-report in boys (r = 0.75, r = 0.67, respectively). In girls, salivary DHEA and OE2 had negligible correlations with age or composite PDS scores. Conclusion: In boys aged 11–16 years, an increase in salivary testosterone and A4 is associated with self-reported pubertal progress and represents valid non-invasive biomarkers of puberty in boys.