Marie-Anne Burckhardt1, Maike Wellmann, Sotirios Fouzas, Olav Lapaire, Tilo Burkhardt, Jörg Benzing, Christoph Bührer, Gabor Szinnai, Sven Wellmann. 1. Departments of Pediatric Endocrinology (M.-A.B., G.S.) and Neonatology (S.F., J.B., S.W.), University Children's Hospital Basel, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland; Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology (M.W., O.L.), University Hospital Basel, CH-4031 Basel, Switzerland; Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (S.F.), University Hospital of Patras, 26500 Patras, Greece; Department of Obstetrics (T.B.), University Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8091, Switzerland; Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology (T.B., S.W.), University of Zurich, CH-8032 Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Neonatology (C.B.), Charité University Medical Center, D-10117 Berlin, Germany; and Department of Neonatology (S.W.), University Hospital Zurich, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Arginine vasopressin (AVP) regulates water balance and blood pressure and plays a role in social behavioral processes. Healthy adult men as compared with women have higher blood levels of AVP and its C-terminal precursor peptide, copeptin. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to investigate whether sexual disparity of copeptin is present at birth. METHODS: In 241 prospectively enrolled healthy newborn infants, 131 boys and 110 girls, plasma copeptin concentrations were measured at birth and on day 3 of life. RESULTS: Multivariable linear regression analysis revealed stressful delivery (regression coefficient β = .569, P <0.001), acidosis (β = -.347, P < .001), and male gender (β = .132, P < .01) as independent determinants of copeptin at birth. In infants born without stress, that is by primary cesarean section (n = 81), male gender was the sole variable associated with copeptin (β = .286, P < .05), copeptin concentrations being higher in boys [median 5.5 pmol/L (interquartile range 4.4-10.2)] than in girls [4.8 pmol/L (interquartile range 3.6-5.8), P < .05]. At day 3 of life, copeptin was determined independently by postnatal physiological dehydration (β = .485; P < .001) and birth weight (β = .279; P < .01). CONCLUSION: Sexual disparity of copeptin is already present at birth, indicating increased activation of the AVP system in newborn boys as compared with girls.
BACKGROUND:Arginine vasopressin (AVP) regulates water balance and blood pressure and plays a role in social behavioral processes. Healthy adult men as compared with women have higher blood levels of AVP and its C-terminal precursor peptide, copeptin. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to investigate whether sexual disparity of copeptin is present at birth. METHODS: In 241 prospectively enrolled healthy newborn infants, 131 boys and 110 girls, plasma copeptin concentrations were measured at birth and on day 3 of life. RESULTS: Multivariable linear regression analysis revealed stressful delivery (regression coefficient β = .569, P <0.001), acidosis (β = -.347, P < .001), and male gender (β = .132, P < .01) as independent determinants of copeptin at birth. In infants born without stress, that is by primary cesarean section (n = 81), male gender was the sole variable associated with copeptin (β = .286, P < .05), copeptin concentrations being higher in boys [median 5.5 pmol/L (interquartile range 4.4-10.2)] than in girls [4.8 pmol/L (interquartile range 3.6-5.8), P < .05]. At day 3 of life, copeptin was determined independently by postnatal physiological dehydration (β = .485; P < .001) and birth weight (β = .279; P < .01). CONCLUSION: Sexual disparity of copeptin is already present at birth, indicating increased activation of the AVP system in newborn boys as compared with girls.
Authors: Benjamin Stöcklin; Sotirios Fouzas; Paula Schillinger; Sevgi Cayir; Roswitha Skendaj; Michel Ramser; Peter Weber; Sven Wellmann Journal: PLoS One Date: 2015-04-20 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Philipp Baumann; Verena Gotta; Andrew Atkinson; Markus Deisenberg; Martin Hersberger; Adam Roggia; Kevin Schmid; Vincenzo Cannizzaro Journal: Children (Basel) Date: 2022-05-28
Authors: Luregn J Schlapbach; Eric Giannoni; Sven Wellmann; Martin Stocker; Roland A Ammann; Rolf Graf Journal: BMC Anesthesiol Date: 2015-11-20 Impact factor: 2.217
Authors: Michael Kaczmarczyk; Carsten Spitzer; Katja Wingenfeld; Klaus Wiedemann; Linn K Kuehl; Katharina Schultebraucks; Christian Eric Deuter; Christian Otte Journal: Eur J Psychotraumatol Date: 2020-11-02