Yanovski J A, Yanovski S Z, Cutler G B, Chrousos G P, Filmer K M
Developmental Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
J Pediatr. 1996 Jul;129(1):130-5. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(96)70199-3.
After intravenous administration of ovine corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), the plasma corticotropin (ACTH) concentrations of adult black women and men are approximately twice as high as those of adult white women and men; however, there are no corresponding differences in cortisol response. To determine whether these differences in ACTH secretion are also present in prepubertal and early pubertal girls, we studied the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis of 19 black and 19 white girls of normal weight (age 7 to 10 years) who were matched for body mass index, age, and socioeconomic status. Measures of cortisol's effects, including waist circumference, waist/hip ratio, and fasting insulin and glucose levels, were obtained and related to the ACTH and cortisol responses to 1 micrograms/kg CRH. There were no racial differences in waist circumference, waist/hip ratio, fasting glucose or insulin levels, baseline free or total plasma cortisol levels, baseline ACTH concentrations, or the plasma cortisol response to CRH. However, CRH-stimulated plasma ACTH concentrations, measured in a polyclonal radio-immunoassay, were significantly greater in prepubertal and early pubertal black girls than in white girls at all time points between 15 and 90 minutes after administration of CRH (area under curve (AUC 1754 +/- 121 pmol/L/min in black girls vs 1304 +/- 124 pmol/L/min in white girls, p < 0.001). This difference was confirmed by an immunoradiometric assay believed to be specific for intact ACTH (AUC 1634 +/- 139 pmol/L/min in black girls vs 1224 +/- 104 pmol/L/min in white girls, p < 0.001). Neither ACTH AUC nor cortisol AUC was significantly correlated with body mass index in either black or white girls. We conclude that there are differences in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis of prepubertal and early pubertal black and white girls similar to those found previously in adult women. The cause of these differences remains to be elucidated.
静脉注射羊促肾上腺皮质激素释放激素（CRH）后，成年黑人女性和男性的血浆促肾上腺皮质激素（ACTH）浓度约为成年白人女性和男性的两倍；然而，皮质醇反应并无相应差异。为了确定这些ACTH分泌差异是否也存在于青春期前和青春期早期的女孩中，我们研究了19名体重正常（年龄7至10岁）的黑人女孩和19名白人女孩的下丘脑 - 垂体 - 肾上腺轴，这些女孩在体重指数、年龄和社会经济地位方面相匹配。获取了包括腰围、腰臀比、空腹胰岛素和葡萄糖水平在内的皮质醇作用指标，并将其与ACTH和皮质醇对1微克/千克CRH的反应相关联。在腰围、腰臀比、空腹血糖或胰岛素水平、基线游离或总血浆皮质醇水平、基线ACTH浓度或血浆皮质醇对CRH的反应方面，没有种族差异。然而，在CRH给药后15至90分钟的所有时间点，用多克隆放射免疫测定法测量的CRH刺激的血浆ACTH浓度，青春期前和青春期早期的黑人女孩显著高于白人女孩（曲线下面积（AUC）：黑人女孩为1754±121 pmol/L/分钟，白人女孩为1304±124 pmol/L/分钟，p<0.001）。这种差异通过一种被认为对完整ACTH具有特异性的免疫放射测定法得到证实（AUC：黑人女孩为1634±139 pmol/L/分钟，白人女孩为1224±104 pmol/L/分钟，p<0.001）。在黑人或白人女孩中，ACTH AUC和皮质醇AUC均与体重指数无显著相关性。我们得出结论，青春期前和青春期早期的黑人女孩和白人女孩在下丘脑 - 垂体 - 肾上腺轴方面存在差异，类似于先前在成年女性中发现的差异。这些差异的原因仍有待阐明。
