Evidence that the CAG repeat in the androgen receptor gene is associated with the age-related decline in serum androgen levels in men

• Published in: Journal of endocrinology Vol. 162; no. 1; pp. 137 - 142
• Main Authors: Krithivas, K, Yurgalevitch, SM, Mohr, BA, Wilcox, CJ, Batter, SJ, Brown, M, Longcope, C, McKinlay, JB, Kantoff, PW
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Colchester BioScientifica 01-07-1999; Portland Press
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aging - blood; Androgens - blood; Biological and medical sciences; Cell receptors; Cell structures and functions; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hormone receptors. Growth factor receptors. Cytokine receptors. Prostaglandin receptors; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Molecular and cellular biology; Receptors, Androgen - genetics; Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; Human; Testosterone; Senescence; Androgen; Repeated sequence; Trinucleotide; Testicular hormone; Sex steroid hormone; Age; Biological receptor; Blood plasma; Hormonal receptor
• ISSN: 0022-0795; 1479-6805
• DOI: 10.1677/joe.0.1620137

In men over 30 years old, serum levels of testosterone (T) decrease with age. A shorter polymorphic CAG repeat length in exon 1 of the androgen receptor (AR) gene is associated with higher transcription activation by the AR. We determined the number of CAG repeats for 882 men aged between 40 and 70 years from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study (MMAS). MMAS is a population-based random sample survey of men for whom baseline (1987-1989, mean age 53+/-8 years) and follow-up (1995-1997, mean age 61+/-8 years) serum hormone levels were available. Multiple linear regression was used to determine if CAG repeat length would be predictive of hormone levels at follow-up. Hormone levels measured included T, free T, albumin-bound T, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and luteinizing hormone (LH). The CAG repeat length was significantly associated with T (P=0.041), albumin-bound T (P=0.025) and free T (P=0.003) when controlled for age, baseline hormone levels and anthropometrics. Follow-up levels of T decreased by 0.74%+/-0.36 per CAG repeat decrement. Likewise, the percentages of free and albumin-bound T decreased by 0.93%+/-0.31 and 0.71%+/-0.32 per CAG repeat decrement respectively. These results suggest that androgen levels may be modulated by AR genotype.