[Pharmwaste] Sensivitiy of the child to sex steroids: possible impact of exogenous estrogens

[Tenace, Laurie]

"Exogenous" estrogens are those coming from outside the body rather than
being manufactured by the body. 

http://humupd.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/12/4/341 


The sensitivity of the child to sex steroids: possible impact of exogenous
estrogens 
Lise Aksglaede, Anders Juul, Henrik Leffers, Niels E. Skakkebæk and
Anna-Maria Andersson1 
University Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen,
Denmark 

1 To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Department of Growth and
Reproduction, GR 5064, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø,
Denmark. E-mail: anna at rh.dk

Submitted on January 3, 2006; resubmitted on March 13, 2006; accepted on
March 27, 2006

The current trends of increasing incidences of testis, breast and prostate
cancers are poorly understood, although it is assumed that sex hormones play
a role. Disrupted sex hormone action is also believed to be involved in the
increased occurrence of genital abnormalities among newborn boys and
precocious puberty in girls. In this article, recent literature on sex
steroid levels and their physiological roles during childhood is reviewed. It
is concluded that (i) circulating levels of estradiol in prepubertal children
are lower than originally claimed; (ii) children are extremely sensitive to
estradiol and may respond with increased growth and/or breast development
even at serum levels below the current detection limits; (iii) no threshold
has been established, below which no hormonal effects can be seen in children
exposed to exogenous steroids or endocrine disruptors; (iv) changes in
hormone levels during fetal and prepubertal development may have severe
effects in adult life and (v) the daily production rates of sex steroids in
children estimated by the Food and Drug Administration in 1999 and still used
in risk assessments are highly overestimated and should be revised. Because
no lower threshold for estrogenic action has been established, caution should
be taken to avoid unnecessary exposure of fetuses and children to exogenous
sex steroids and endocrine disruptors, even at very low levels. 

Laurie J. Tenace
Environmental Specialist
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
2600 Blair Stone Road, MS 4555
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2400
PH: (850) 245-8759
FAX: (850) 245-8811
Laurie.Tenace at dep.state.fl.us  
 
view our mercury web pages at: 
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/mercury/default.htm 

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