1624-P: Changes in Childhood Adiposity and Adolescent Testosterone in the EPOCH (Exploring Perinatal Outcomes among Children) Study

Whether changes in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in childhood predict adolescent androgens is not known. We examined the longitudinal relationship between MRI-assessed visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in childhood and future testosterone (T) among 418 EPOCH participants (209 girls and 209 boys) who were, on average 10.5 years at visit 1 and 16.7 years at visit 2. We used reverse Cox proportional hazards models in which hazard ratios less than 1 indicate greater risk for low (undetectable) sex hormones consistent with pre-puberty. Models explored the associations of baseline VAT, and change in VAT from visit 1 to visit 2, with risk of low sex hormone levels at visit 2, adjusted for covariates selected through backwards regression (race, self-reported Tanner stage, maternal income, insulin and leptin levels). All analyses were stratified by sex. In addition, due to different patterns of fat deposition in white and non-white adults, we tested for effect modification by race. In boys, the association between VAT at visit 1 and T at visit 2 differed by race; more VAT at visit 1 was associated with lower risk of low T at visit 2 among non-white boys (HR 1.02, 95% CI 1.007, 1.04) but not white boys (HR 1.00, 95% CI 0.98, 1.01). In contrast, greater fat accumulation between visits was associated with higher risk of low T at visit 2 (HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.83, 0.96), independent of race and other covariates. Among girls, neither baseline VAT levels, nor VAT accumulation between visits predicted risk of later low T concentrations. We conclude that greater VAT accumulation in childhood is associated with increased risk for low T levels, suggesting delayed puberty, in boys. These associations suggest that fat deposition may influence sex hormone profiles even in early childhood.