Reference values for serum dehydroepiandrosterone-sulphate in healthy children and adolescents with emphasis on the age of adrenarche and pubarche.

OBJECTIVE

Adrenarche is a component of normal pubertal development. Recent decades have witnessed changes in the timing and tempo of puberty in different populations. We aimed to obtain normative data on dehydroepiandrosterone-sulphate (DHEA-S) secretion in healthy children and to evaluate the age of adrenarche, pubarche and the DHEA-S levels at which pubarche starts in both sexes.

METHODS

Serum DHEA-S concentrations were measured in 531 healthy (291 female) Turkish children aged 1 month-18 years by an automated chemiluminescence method. Pubic hair development was evaluated. DHEA-S concentrations >108·4 nmol/l (40 μg/dl) were regarded as adrenarche. Age-related normative data were constructed. Age at adrenarche and pubarche and the DHEA-S levels at pubarche were estimated using ROC analyses.

RESULTS

Serum DHEA-S levels were high in the first 6 months of life then declined below 108·4 nmol/l (40 μg/dl) with a cut-off age of 0·46 years for girls and 0·61 years for boys with 98% and 96% statistical sensitivity. Stable minimum levels were observed for the following 5 years. The cut-off age for DHEA-S levels rising above 108·4 nmol/l (40 μg/dl) was 8·0 and 7·0 years for girls for boys, respectively. DHEA-S levels at transition from Tanner stage P1 to P2 was 90·5 nmol/l (33·4 μg/dl) in girls and 118 nmol/l (43·6 μg/dl) in boys. Median (CI) DHEA-S levels were 170·7(94·8-336) and 244(119·2-357·7) nmo/l [63(35-124) and 90(44-132) μg/dl] in girls and boys, respectively, with Tanner stage P2 pubic hair.

CONCLUSIONS

We established reference data of serum DHEA-S levels in a large group of children. Currently, adrenarche (DHEA-S>108·4 nmol/l) starts 1 year earlier in boys but higher DHEA-S levels are needed for transition from P1 to P2 in boys.