Heritability of reproductive hormones in adult male twins

E.A.M. Kuijper; C.B. Lambalk; D.I. Boomsma; S. van der Sluis; M.A. Blankenstein; E.J.C. de Geus; D. Posthuma

doi:10.1093/humrep/dem145

Heritability of reproductive hormones in adult male twins

E.A.M. Kuijper, C.B. Lambalk, D.I. Boomsma, S. van der Sluis, M.A. Blankenstein, E.J.C. de Geus, D. Posthuma

Biological Psychology

Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

143 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Background: Proper functioning of the male reproductive axis depends on complex feedback systems between several hormones. In this study, the genetic contribution of various endocrine components of the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis is evaluated and previously observed differences in FSH and inhibin B levels between mono- (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins are re-investigated. Methods: Inhibin B, FSH, LH, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and testosterone levels were assayed in 128 adult males (20 MZ twin pairs, 7 single MZ twins, 10 DZ twin pairs, 27 single DZ twins and 34 siblings of twins, constituting 10 sibling pairs), aged 15.6-68.7 years. Hormone levels were compared across zygosity groups and heritability estimates were obtained using maximum likelihood variance component analysis. Results: Heritability estimates ranged from 56% (testosterone) to 81% (inhibin B and SHBG). For LH and FSH, the heritability was estimated at 68% and 80% respectively. No mean differences in hormone levels were observed across groups. Conclusions: All measured hormones are highly heritable. A difference in the FSH-inhibin B feedback system between DZ twin males and MZ twin males could not be confirmed. © The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2153-2159
Journal	Human Reproduction
Volume	22
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dem145
Publication status	Published - 2007

Cohort Studies

Netherlands Twin Register (NTR)

Access to Document

10.1093/humrep/dem145

Kuijper Human Reproduction 22(8) 2007 uFinal published version, 91.7 KB

http://www.tweelingenregister.org/nederlands/verslaggeving/NTR-publicaties_2007/Kuijper_HR_2007.pdf

Persistent URL (handle)

Persistent link

Cite this

@article{1320ffc67eb04567b5a5f8b5bab955f4,

title = "Heritability of reproductive hormones in adult male twins",

abstract = "Background: Proper functioning of the male reproductive axis depends on complex feedback systems between several hormones. In this study, the genetic contribution of various endocrine components of the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis is evaluated and previously observed differences in FSH and inhibin B levels between mono- (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins are re-investigated. Methods: Inhibin B, FSH, LH, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and testosterone levels were assayed in 128 adult males (20 MZ twin pairs, 7 single MZ twins, 10 DZ twin pairs, 27 single DZ twins and 34 siblings of twins, constituting 10 sibling pairs), aged 15.6-68.7 years. Hormone levels were compared across zygosity groups and heritability estimates were obtained using maximum likelihood variance component analysis. Results: Heritability estimates ranged from 56% (testosterone) to 81% (inhibin B and SHBG). For LH and FSH, the heritability was estimated at 68% and 80% respectively. No mean differences in hormone levels were observed across groups. Conclusions: All measured hormones are highly heritable. A difference in the FSH-inhibin B feedback system between DZ twin males and MZ twin males could not be confirmed. {\textcopyright} The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved.",

author = "E.A.M. Kuijper and C.B. Lambalk and D.I. Boomsma and {van der Sluis}, S. and M.A. Blankenstein and {de Geus}, E.J.C. and D. Posthuma",

year = "2007",

doi = "10.1093/humrep/dem145",

language = "English",

volume = "22",

pages = "2153--2159",

journal = "Human Reproduction",

issn = "0268-1161",

publisher = "Oxford University Press",

number = "8",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Heritability of reproductive hormones in adult male twins

AU - Kuijper, E.A.M.

AU - Lambalk, C.B.

AU - Boomsma, D.I.

AU - van der Sluis, S.

AU - Blankenstein, M.A.

AU - de Geus, E.J.C.

AU - Posthuma, D.

PY - 2007

Y1 - 2007

N2 - Background: Proper functioning of the male reproductive axis depends on complex feedback systems between several hormones. In this study, the genetic contribution of various endocrine components of the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis is evaluated and previously observed differences in FSH and inhibin B levels between mono- (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins are re-investigated. Methods: Inhibin B, FSH, LH, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and testosterone levels were assayed in 128 adult males (20 MZ twin pairs, 7 single MZ twins, 10 DZ twin pairs, 27 single DZ twins and 34 siblings of twins, constituting 10 sibling pairs), aged 15.6-68.7 years. Hormone levels were compared across zygosity groups and heritability estimates were obtained using maximum likelihood variance component analysis. Results: Heritability estimates ranged from 56% (testosterone) to 81% (inhibin B and SHBG). For LH and FSH, the heritability was estimated at 68% and 80% respectively. No mean differences in hormone levels were observed across groups. Conclusions: All measured hormones are highly heritable. A difference in the FSH-inhibin B feedback system between DZ twin males and MZ twin males could not be confirmed. © The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved.

AB - Background: Proper functioning of the male reproductive axis depends on complex feedback systems between several hormones. In this study, the genetic contribution of various endocrine components of the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis is evaluated and previously observed differences in FSH and inhibin B levels between mono- (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins are re-investigated. Methods: Inhibin B, FSH, LH, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and testosterone levels were assayed in 128 adult males (20 MZ twin pairs, 7 single MZ twins, 10 DZ twin pairs, 27 single DZ twins and 34 siblings of twins, constituting 10 sibling pairs), aged 15.6-68.7 years. Hormone levels were compared across zygosity groups and heritability estimates were obtained using maximum likelihood variance component analysis. Results: Heritability estimates ranged from 56% (testosterone) to 81% (inhibin B and SHBG). For LH and FSH, the heritability was estimated at 68% and 80% respectively. No mean differences in hormone levels were observed across groups. Conclusions: All measured hormones are highly heritable. A difference in the FSH-inhibin B feedback system between DZ twin males and MZ twin males could not be confirmed. © The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved.

U2 - 10.1093/humrep/dem145

DO - 10.1093/humrep/dem145

M3 - Article

SN - 0268-1161

VL - 22

SP - 2153

EP - 2159

JO - Human Reproduction

JF - Human Reproduction

IS - 8

ER -

Heritability of reproductive hormones in adult male twins

Abstract

Cohort Studies

Access to Document

Persistent URL (handle)

Fingerprint

Cite this