Early onset of puberty: Tracking genetic and environmental factors

Anne Simone Parent, Gregory Rasier, Arlette Gerard, Sabine Heger, Christian Roth, Claudio Mastronardi, Heike Jung, Sergio R. Ojeda, Jean Pierre Bourguignon

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    62 Scopus citations

    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.

    Original languageEnglish (US)
    Pages (from-to)41-47
    Number of pages7
    JournalHormone Research
    Volume64
    Issue numberSUPPL. 2
    DOIs
    StatePublished - Nov 2005

    Keywords

    • Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT)
    • Endocrine disrupting chemicals
    • Gonadotropin releasing hormone
    • Hypothalamic hamartoma
    • Secular trend

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
    • Endocrinology

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