Low serum DHEA-S is associated with impaired lung function in women

Giancarlo Pesce (1, 2) , Kai Triebner (3) , Diana A. van Der Plaat (4) , Dominique Courbon (5) , Steinar Hustad (3) , Torben Sigsgaard (6) , Dennis Alexander Nowak , Joachim Heinrich (7) , Josep María Anto (8) , Sandra Dorado-Arenas , Jesús Martinez-Moratalla , José Antonio Gullon-Blanco , José Luis Sanchez-Ramos , Chantal Raherison (9, 10) , Isabelle Pin (11) , Pascal M. Demoly (1, 2) , Thórarinn Gislason , Kjell Torén (12) , Bertil Forsberg (13) , Eva Boström Lindberg (14) , Elisabeth Zemp (15) , Rain Jogi , Nicole M. Probst-Hensch (15) , Shyamali Chandrika Dharmage , Deborah L. Jarvis (16) , Judith Garcia-Aymerich , Alessandro Marcon , Francisco Gómez-Real (3) , Bénédicte Leynaert (17, 18)

1 iPLESP - Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique
2 CHU Saint-Antoine [AP-HP]
3 UiB - University of Bergen
4 NHLI - National Heart and Lung Institute [London]
5 PHERE (UMR_S_1152 / U1152) - Physiopathologie et Epidémiologie des Maladies Respiratoires
6 Aarhus University Hospital
7 EPI - Institute of Epidemiology [Neuherberg]
8 IMIM-Hospital del Mar
9 LBMA - Laboratoire de Biotechnologie et Microbiologie Appliquée
10 BPH - Bordeaux population health
11 Brain Tech Lab - BrainTech Laboratory [CHU Grenoble Alpes - Inserm U1205]
12 Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg [Göteborg]
13 Umeå University
14 Uppsala University Hospital
15 Unibas - Université de Bâle = University of Basel = Basel Universität
16 Imperial College London
17 VIMA - Vieillissement et Maladies chroniques : approches épidémiologique et de santé publique
18 UVSQ - Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines

Background: Emerging evidence suggests that androgens and estrogens have a role in respiratory health, but it is largely unknown whether levels of these hormones can affect lung function in adults from the general population. This study investigated whether serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), a key precursor of both androgens and estrogens in peripheral tissues, was related to lung function in adult women participating in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS). Methods: Lung function and serum DHEA-S concentrations were measured in n = 2,045 and n = 1,725 women in 1999–2002 and in 2010–2013, respectively. Cross-sectional associations of DHEA-S levels (expressed as age-adjusted z-score) with spirometric outcomes were investigated, adjusting for smoking habits, body mass index, menopausal status, and use of corticosteroids. Longitudinal associations of DHEA-S levels in 1999–2002 with incidence of restrictive pattern and airflow limitation in 2010–2013 were also assessed. Findings: Women with low DHEA-S (z-score<-1) had lower FEV1 (% of predicted, adjusted difference: -2.2; 95%CI: -3.5 to -0.9) and FVC (-1.7; 95%CI: -2.9 to -0.5) and were at a greater risk of having airflow limitation and restrictive pattern on spirometry than women with higher DHEA-S levels. In longitudinal analyses, low DHEA-S at baseline was associated with a greater incidence of airflow limitation after an 11-years follow-up (incidence rate ratio, 3.43; 95%CI: 1.91 to 6.14). Interpretation: Low DHEA-S levels in women were associated with impaired lung function and a greater risk of developing airflow limitation later in adult life. Our findings provide new evidence supporting a role of DHEA-S in respiratory health. Funding: EU H2020, grant agreement no.633212

Mots clés: Androgens; Airflow obstruction; Cohort studies; Sex hormones

Domaines: Sciences du Vivant [q-bio]

Giancarlo Pesce, Kai Triebner, Diana A. van Der Plaat, Dominique Courbon, Steinar Hustad, et al.. Low serum DHEA-S is associated with impaired lung function in women. EClinicalMedicine, 2020, 23, ⟨10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100389⟩. ⟨hal-02867471⟩