Skip to main content
Log in

Amniotic fluid testosterone and fetal sex determination

Discussion of the endocrine function of the fetal testis

  • Original Contributions
  • Published:
Ricerca in clinica e in laboratorio

Summary

Amniotic fluid testosterone levels were determined by the radioimmunoassay technique in 101 samples obtained by amniocentesis between 16 and 18 weeks of gestation from women with increased risk of chromosomal abnormalities. Fetal sex was determined by cell culture and chromosomal analysis of fetal amniotic cells and was confirmed at birth. In pregnancies with male fetuses (50 samples), the mean amniotic fluid testosterone level of 216 pg/ml (±75) was significantly higher (p<0.001) than the mean value of 93 pg/ml (±28) found in pregnancies with female fetuses (51 samples). The range for pregnancies with male fetuses was 130 to 500 pg/ml and for those with female fetuses 10 to 140 pg/ml, showing an area of overlap from 130 to 140 pg/ml.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Abramovich D. R., Rowe P.: Fetal plasma testosterone levels at mid-pregnancy and at term: relationship to fetal sex — J. Endocr.56, 621, 1973.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Acevedo H. F., Axelrod L. R., Ishikawa E., Takaki F.: Studies in fetal metabolism. II. Metabolism of progesterone-4-14C and pregnenolone 7α-3H in human fetal testis — J. clin. Endocr.23, 885, 1963.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Baille A. H., Ferguson M. M., Hart M. C. K.: Histochemical evidence of steroid metabolism in the human genital ridge — J. clin. Endocr.26, 738, 1966.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Belisle S., Fencl M., Tulchinsky D.: Amniotic fluid testosterone and follicle-stimulating hormone in the determination of fetal sex — Amer. J. Obstet. Gynec.128, 514, 1977.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Blizzard R. M., Alberts M.: Hypopituitarism, hypoadrenalism and hypogonadism in the newborn infants — J. Pediat.48, 782, 1956.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Bloch E.: Metabolism of 4-14C-progesterone by human fetal testis and ovaries — Endocrinology74, 833, 1964.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Brewer D.: Congenital absence of the pituitary gland and its consequences — J. Path. Bact.73, 59, 1957.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Clements J. A., Reyes F. I., Winter J. S. D., Faiman C.: Studies on human sexual development. III. Fetal pituitary, serum and amniotic fluid concentration of LH, HCG and FSH — J. clin. Endocr.42, 9, 1976.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Dörner G., Stahl F., Baumgarter G.: Signifikante Unterschiede in Testosteron und 11-OHCS-Gehalt des Fruchtwassers zwischen männlichen und weiblichen Föten — Endokrinologie60, 285, 1972.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Giles H. R., Lox C. D., Wayne Heine M., Christian C. D.: Intrauterine fetal sex determination by radioimmunoassay of amniotic fluid testosterone — Gynec. Invest.5, 317, 1974.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Gillman J.: The development of the gonads in man with a consideration of the role of the fetal endocrines and the histogenesis of ovarian tumors — Contr. Embryol. Carneg. Instn32, 81, 1948.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Goldman H. S., Yakovac W. C., Bongiovanni A. M.: Development of activity of 3β-hydroxy-steroid dehydrogenase in human fetal tissue and two anencephalic newborns — J. clin. Endocr.26, 14, 1996.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Jost A.: Recherches sur la différenciation sexuelle de l’embryon de lapin. II. Action des androgènes de synthèse sur l’histogénèse génitale — Arch. Anat. micr. Morph. exp.36, 242, 1947.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Jost A.: Recherches sur la différenciation sexuelle de l’embryon de lapin. III. Rôle des gonades foetales dans la différenciation sexuelle somatique — Arch. Anat. micr. Morph. exp.36, 271, 1947.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Judd H. L., Robinson J. D., Young P. E., Jones O. W.: Amniotic fluid testosterone levels in midpregnancy — Obstet. and Gynec.48, 690, 1976.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Judd H. L., Yen S. S. C.: Serum androstenedione and testosterone levels during the menstrual cycle — J. clin. Endocr.36, 475, 1973.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Klinga K., Bek E., Runnebaum B.: Maternal peripheral testosterone levels during the first half of pregnancy — Amer. J. Obstet. Gynec.131, 60, 1978.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Mancini R. E., Vilar O., Lavieri J. C., Andrada J. A., Heinrich J. J.: Development of Leydig cells in the normal human testis — Amer. J. Anat.112, 203, 1963.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Nagamani M., McDonough P., Ellegood J., Mahesh V. B.: Maternal and amniotic fluid steroids throughout human pregnancy — Amer. J. Obstet. Gynec.134, 674, 1979.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Pelliniemi L. J., Niemi M.: Fine structure of human fetal testis — Z. Zellforsch.99, 507, 1969.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Pirani B. B. K., Pairaudeau N., Doran T. A., Wong P. Y., Gardner H. A.: Amniotic fluid testosterone in the prenatal determination of fetal sex — Amer. J. Obstet. Gynec.129, 518, 1977.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Reid J. D.: Congenital absence of the pituitary gland — J. Pediat.56, 658, 1960.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Reyes F. I., Winter J. S. D., Faiman C.: Studies on human sexual development. I. Fetal gonadal and adrenal sex steroids — J. clin. Endocr.37, 74, 1973.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Rice B. F., Johnanson C. A., Stenberg W. H.: Formation of steroid hormones from acetate-1-14C by a human fetal testis preparation grown in organ culture — Steroids7, 79, 1966.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Robinson J. D., Judd H. L., Young P. E., Jones O. W., Yen S. S. C.: Amniotic fluid androgens and estrogens in mid-gestation — J. clin. Endocr.45, 755, 1977.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Serra G. V., Pérez-Palacios T., Jaffe R. B.:De novo testosterone biosynthesis in the human fetal testis — J. clin. Endocr.30, 128, 1970.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Wu C., Mennuti M., Mikhail G.: Free and protein-bound steroids in amniotic fluid of pregnancy — Amer. J. Obstet. Gynec.133, 666, 1979.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Zaaijer J. J., Price D.: Early secretion of androgenic hormones by human fetal gonads and adrenal glands in organ culture and possible complications for sex differentiation. In:Hamburgh M., Barrington E. J. W. (Eds): Hormones in development. Appleton-Century-Crofts, New York, 1971; p. 537.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Zondek L. H., Zondek T.: Observations on the testis in anencephaly with special reference to the Leydig cells — Biol. Neonat. (Basel)8, 329, 1965.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Zondek T., Mansfield M. D., Zondek L. H.: Amniotic fluid testosterone and fetal sex determination in the first half of pregnancy — Brit. J. Obstet. Gynec.84, 714, 1977.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ansaldi, E., Voglino, G., Coppo, F. et al. Amniotic fluid testosterone and fetal sex determination. La Ricerca Clin. Lab. 11, 349–354 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02909034

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02909034

Key-words

Navigation