ESPE Abstracts (2019) 92 P1-17

ESPE2019 Poster Category 1 Bone, Growth Plate and Mineral Metabolism (11 abstracts)

Serum Testosterone Level at the Age of 12 is an Important Determinant of the Following Gain of Bone Mineral Apparant Density in 18-year Old Males: a Longitudinal Study From Puberty

Reeli Tamme 1,2 , Jaak Jürimäe 3 , Liina Remmel 3 , Evelin Mäestu 3 , Priit Purge 3 , Eva Mengel 2 & Vallo Tillmann 1,2


1Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia. 2Children's Clinic of Tartu University Hospital, Tartu, Estonia. 3Insitute of Sports Science and Physiothearpy, faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia


Background: Many cross-sectional studies have demonstrated that serum testosterone concentration is an important biochemical predictor of bone mineral density in young males, but to our knowledge, no longitudinal studies have been carried out to support these cross-sectional data.

Aims: to examine the associations between serum testosterone concentration at the age of 12 and the following gain in bone mineral density until the age of 18 years.

Subjects and Methods: Eighty eight boys were investigated at the mean age of 12.1 (T1) and at 18.0 (T2) years of age. Total body (TB), lumbar spine (LS) bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral apparent density (BMAD) were measured by different DEXA scans at T1 and T2. Therefore TB and LS BMAD standard deviation scores (SDS) at T1 and T2, as well as their change (Δ), were calculated. Serum testosterone concentration, bone age and total physical activity (tot PA) by accelerometer were studied at both time-points.

Results: Serum testosterone concentration at T1 was positively correlated with TB BMD at T2 (r=0.28; P<0.01), Δ TB BMAD SDS (r=0.47; P<0.0001) and Δ LS BMAD SDS (r=0.23; P<0.05). When controlling for bone age and tot PA at T1, the correlation between testosterone at T1 and Δ TB BMAD SDS remained significant (r=0.32; P<0.05).

Conclusions: Serum testosterone concentration at the age of 12 is associated with the following relative gain in total body BMAD in 18-year old males suggesting that testosterone already at early puberty is associated with the following bone mineral accrual.

Volume 92

58th Annual ESPE

Vienna, Austria
19 Sep 2019 - 21 Sep 2019

European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology 

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