Browsing by Author "Dalvie Aqiel"

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    The relationship between reproductive hormones and asthma-related outcomes in boys residing in the rural Western Cape
    (2023) Phuti, Mandy; Jeebhay, Mohamed; Dalvie Aqiel
    Background: Asthma is more prevalent and severe among boys but this pattern reverses after puberty. It has been suggested that reproductive hormones may play a role in explaining these sex differences after puberty, but the evidence is still limited especially for children living in low- and middle-income countries. Objective: This study investigated the association between reproductive hormones and asthmarelated outcomes among boys residing in a rural setting. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 470 boys (6-18 years), residing in the rural Western Cape province of South Africa was conducted. General questionnaires were administered to the boys and their caregivers including an abbreviated International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire. Testosterone (TST and FT), luteinizing hormone (LH), serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), oestradiol and serum hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), were assessed using electrochemiluminescence immunoassays. A total of 314 (66.8%) boys had valid asthma outcome information and hormone level measurements that were analysed further. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the relationship between asthma and measured endocrines levels. Results: The mean age of the boys was 11.2 (Standard deviation -1.7 years). Current wheeze (CW), asthma symptom score ≥ 2 (ASS) and parental reported asthma (PA) prevalence were 6.1%, 6.7% and 8.0%, respectively. In the adjusted multivariate logistic regression models, total serum testosterone (TST) levels were negatively associated with CW (OR=0.66, 95% CI: 0.45- 0.98), ASS (OR=0.64, 95% CI: 0.43-0.95) and PA (OR=0.86, 95% CI: 0.59-1.25). Free testosterone (FT) levels were similarly negatively associated with all three asthma-related outcomes. Similar associations were also found for LH and FSH, but there were no clear associations for estradiol and SHBG with asthma-related outcomes. The concentration-response curves confirmed that higher levels of testosterone (TST and FT) were associated with reduced risk of asthma-related outcomes. Conclusions: This study provides evidence that increasing testosterone levels are associated with reduced asthma risk among rural boys in South Africa