Female-dominant estrogen production in healthy children before adrenarche.
Maki IgarashiTadayuki AyabeKiwako Yamamoto-HanadaKeiko MatsubaraHatoko SasakiMayako Saito-AbeMiori SatoNathan MiseAkihiko IkegamiMasayuki ShimonoReiko SugaShouichi OhgaMasafumi SanefujiMasako OdaHiroshi MitsubuchiTakehiro MichikawaShin YamazakiShoji NakayamaYukihiro OhyaMaki FukamiPublished in: Endocrine connections (2021)
The results indicate that in 6-year-old girls, circulating E2 is produced primarily in the ovary from adrenal steroids through FSH-induced aromatase upregulation. This study provides evidence that female-dominant E2 production starts several months or years before adrenarche. The biological significance of E2 biosynthesis in these young children needs to be clarified in future studies.