Early onset of puberty: tracking genetic and environmental factors
Date
2005
Authors
Parent, Anne-Simone
Rasier, Gregory
Gerard, Arlette
Heger, Sabine
Roth, Christian
Mastronardi, Claudio
Jung, Heike
Ojeda, Sergio R
Bourguignon, Jean-Pierre
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
S Karger AG
Abstract
Under physiological conditions, factors affecting the genetic control of hypothalamic functions are predominant in determining the individual variations in timing of pubertal onset. In pathological conditions, however, these variations can involve different genetic susceptibility and the interaction of environmental factors. The high incidence of precocious puberty in foreign children migrating to Belgium and the detection in their plasma of a long-lasting 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl) ethane (DDT) residue suggest the potential role of environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals in the early onset of puberty. This hypothesis was confirmed by experimental data showing that temporary exposure of immature female rats to DDT in vivo results in early onset of puberty. We compared the gene expression profile of hypothalamic hamartoma associated or not with precocious puberty in order to identify gene networks responsible for both hamartoma-dependent sexual precocity and the onset of normal human puberty. In conclusion, pathological variations in the timing of puberty may provide unique information about the interactions of either environmental conditions or genetic susceptibility with the hypothalamic mechanism controlling the onset of sexual maturation, as shown by examples of precocious puberty following exposure to endocrine disrupters or due to hypothalamic hamartoma.
Description
Keywords
Keywords: chlorphenotane; endocrine disruptor; blood analysis; conference paper; disease association; environmental exposure; environmental factor; gene expression profiling; gene identification; genetic regulation; genetic susceptibility; hamartoma; heredity; huma Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT); Endocrine disrupting chemicals; Gonadotropin releasing hormone; Hypothalamic hamartoma; Secular trend
Citation
Collections
Source
Hormone Research in Paediatrics (ex Hormone Research)
Type
Journal article