Digit ratio links prenatal hormone exposure with adult lung function
نویسنده
چکیده
0.94 ± 0.30 to female values of 0.961 ± 0.033.2 A separate study of adult male Han reported similar digit ratio values of 0.9478 ± 0.0322 for the right hand.3 Park and coworkers1 postulated that age may have had an effect on digit ratio, but if so, the effect must have been subtle since age was not significantly correlated with digit ratio in males or females in their study. Furthermore, the utility of using digit ratio as a biomarker resides in its relative stability throughout life; admittedly, more attention has been paid to postnatal and pubertal modulations of digit ratio.4 Thus, investigation of age-related hormonal events later in life (e.g. menopause) and their influence on digit ratio may be warranted. So then, does it matter that typical sex differences in digit ratio were not upheld in the present study? The researchers have claimed that low digit ratio is predictive of poor lung function in adulthood. The proposed explanation is a higher prenatal exposure of testosterone leading to compromised airway development. A possible flaw in this argument is that females in the study had the lowest digit ratios, yet they had better-than-predicted lung function and fewer females than males demonstrated compromised airflow, which is contrary to predictions of the study. Despite some shortcomings in generalizability, due largely to the anomalous digit ratios of female participants, the overall association of digit ratio with several parameters of lung function is convincing. Perhaps the study could be replicated using participants of a different age range and/or ethnicity to further test the predictive value of digit ratio on airway function. Given the prevalence of airway diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and increasing discoveries of endocrine disruptors in the environment, attention should be paid to this study that links prenatal steroid exposure with adult lung function.
منابع مشابه
The Ratio of Second to Fourth Digit Length (2D:4D) in Children with Autistic Disorder
Introduction Emerging hypotheses suggest a causal role for prenatal androgen exposure in some cases of Autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The ratios of the lengths of the bones of the 2nd to the 4th digits (2D:4D) are purported to be markers for prenatal androgen exposure and to be established early in gestation. Ratio of second and fourth digits (2D:4D) is usually used as a proxy for prenatal t...
متن کاملDigit Ratio, Color Polymorphism and Egg Testosterone in the Australian Painted Dragon
Variation in exposure to sex hormones during early development contributes to phenotypic plasticity in vertebrate offspring. As a proposed marker for prenatal sex hormone exposure and because of their association with various physiological and behavioral characteristics, digit ratio and/or digit length have received notable interest within the field of evolutionary ecology. However, the validit...
متن کاملExploratory Analysis of the Links among Food Consumption Profiles, Prenatal Androgens, and Selected Measures of Quality of Life
Prenatal sex steroids play a vital role in the development of the whole organism, and therefore also the brain. Exposure of the fetus to testosterone seems to be of special importance both for typical development and pathology. The key factor impacting offspring development (including prenatal androgen levels) appears to be diet, both in terms of shortage and excessive intake of certain food pr...
متن کاملDigit Ratio Predicts Spatial Memory Performance in Women
The ratio of the length of the 2nd and 4th digits of the hand is an indicator of prenatal testosterone exposure and has been shown to be a within sex correlate of various abilities, such as visuo-spatial processing in men. However, a number of studies report such links also exist in women, whilst others show no link for either sex. Using a unique paradigm that sub-divides visuo-spatial processi...
متن کاملMyopia and Digit Ratio in Medical College Students
Myopia is amongst the most common refractive errors in the world. Both environmental and genetic factors are attributed to its causation, however all factors contributing to the development of myopia is yet to be found. Recent studies show presence of sex hormone receptor in the eyes. This has been shown to have a role in the development of various ocular pathologies. The second to fourth finge...
متن کاملذخیره در منابع من
با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید
عنوان ژورنال:
دوره 16 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 2014