Hormone profile and estrogen receptor-α (ER-α) genotypes in male children and adolescents with growth retardation

We studied the ER-a genotype in two groups of male adolescents I I to 16 years old: eighty with unexplained growth retardation (GR) below the 10(th) percentile, and 85 over the 25(th) percentile. The ER-alpha PvuII genotypes in the normal group was PP 10.7%, Pp 53.3%, and pp 36.0%. In the GR group the PP was 4.5%, Pp 51.5% and pp 43.9% (chi(2) = 2.26, p = 0.32). The XbaI in the normal group, was XX 9.3%, Xx 50.7%, and xx 40.0%. In the GR group, the XX was 15.1%, Xx 42.4%, and xx 42.4% (chi(2) = 1.55, p = 0.46). The GR group had higher HOMA-IR, insulin and SHBG, and lower mean parental stature, serum testosterone, bone mineral density, and bone age. The Z of stature was associated with bone mineral density, mean parental height, HOMA-IR, SHBG and IGF-1. We concluded that GR is associated with insulin resistance and not with ER-alpha.