Racial/ethnic differences in serum sex steroid hormone concentrations in US adolescent males

Abstract

Objective Contrary to the hypothesis that the racial/ethnic disparity in prostate cancer has a hormonal basis, we did not observe a difference in serum testosterone concentration between non-Hispanic black and white men in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), although non-Hispanic black men had a higher estradiol level. Unexpectedly, Mexican-American men had the highest testosterone level. Next, we evaluated whether the same patterns are observed during adolescence, the time of prostate maturation. Methods We measured serum testosterone, estradiol, and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) by immunoassay in 134 males aged 12–19 in NHANES III. Mean concentrations were compared by race/ethnicity adjusting for age, Tanner stage, percent body fat, waist, physical activity, tobacco smoke, and the other hormones. Results After multivariable adjustment, in the 12–15 year-old males, testosterone concentration was lower in non-Hispanic blacks than whites (P=0.043), SHBG concentration did not significantly differ between the two groups. Mexican-Americans had the highest testosterone (versus non-Hispanic black: P=0.002) and lowest SHBG (versus non-Hispanic white: P=0.010; versus non-Hispanic black: P=0.047) concentrations. Estradiol concentration was lower in non-Hispanic blacks (P=0.11) and Mexican-Americans (P=0.033) compared with non-Hispanic whites. After multivariable adjustment, in the 16–19 year-old males, testosterone, estradiol, and SHBG concentrations did not differ between non-Hispanic blacks and whites. Mexican-Americans had the highest testosterone concentration (versus non-Hispanic white: P=0.08), but did not differ from the other groups on estradiol and SHBG concentrations. In both age groups, these patterns were generally present, but less pronounced after adjusting for age and Tanner stage only. Conclusion In adolescent males, non-Hispanic blacks did not have a higher testosterone concentration than non-Hispanic whites, and Mexican-Americans had the highest testosterone concentration, patterns similar to adult males.

Racial/Ethnic Differences in the Associations of Overall and Central Body Fatness with Circulating Hormones and Metabolic Factors in US Men

“…Two small studies focused only on SHBG levels, and found an inverse association with waist-to-hip ratio among racial and ethnic groups ( 28 , 29 ). We and other colleagues have previously reported racial/ethnic differences in total testosterone, total estradiol and SHBG levels ( 10 , 30 ), and in a subsequent study we found independent associations between sex steroid hormones and percent body fat ( 9 , 31 ). Due to a paucity of studies investigating the role of joint categories of overall and central body fatness on sex steroid hormones by race and ethnicity, we cannot make direct comparisons of our findings with other studies.…”

Workplace noise exposure and serum testosterone in men enrolled in the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

“…Although previous studies have shown racial/ethnic differences in sex hormones (33)(34)(35), and that socioeconomic factors were more strongly associated with perceived stress in white men than in other racial/ethnic groups (36), we found no significant differences with respect to race/ ethnicity.…”

Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin in Children and Adolescents

“…Previous studies have documented a genetic predisposition for MetS ( 79 , 80 ) and there is evidence that SHBG levels, like MetS components, vary by ethnicity ( Table 2 ). In the national health and nutrition examination survey (NHANES) study, SHBG levels were lower in Mexican-American males age 12-19 than in non-Hispanic blacks and whites ( 81 ). Abdelrahaman et al ( 82 ) found that high levels of SHBG are more common among healthy African American prepubertal boys, a racial group with more subcutaneous but less VAT than their white peers.…”