Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

No impact of developmental conditions on serum estradiol levels among Bangladeshi women in the UK and Bangladesh

Chaney, C.; Begum, K.; Núñez-de la Mora, A.; Sievert, L.L.; Muttukrishna, S.; Harries, V.; Sharmeen, T.; Murphy, L.; Gunu, T.; Chowdhury, O.; Bentley, G.R.

No impact of developmental conditions on serum estradiol levels among Bangladeshi women in the UK and Bangladesh Thumbnail


Authors

C. Chaney

K. Begum

A. Núñez-de la Mora

L.L. Sievert

S. Muttukrishna

V. Harries

T. Sharmeen

L. Murphy

T. Gunu

O. Chowdhury



Abstract

Introduction: While many aspects of female ovarian function respond to environmental stressors, estradiol (E2) appears less sensitive to stressors than progesterone, except under extreme ecological conditions. However, earlier studies relied on saliva samples, considered less sensitive than blood. Here, we investigated E2 variation among 177 Bangladeshi and UK white women, aged 35-59, using single serum samples. Bangladeshi women either grew up in Sylhet, Bangladesh (exposed to poor sanitation, limited health care, and higher pathogen loads but not poor energy availability), or in the UK. Methods: We collected samples on days 4-6 of the menstrual cycle in menstruating women and on any day for post-menopausal women. Participants included: i) Bangladeshi sedentees (n=36), ii) Bangladeshis who migrated to the UK as adults (n=52), iii) Bangladeshis who migrated as children (n=40), and iv) UK white women matched for neighborhood residence to the migrants (n=49). Serum was obtained by venipuncture and analyzed using electrochemiluminescence. We collected anthropometrics and supplementary sociodemographic and reproductive data through questionnaires. We analyzed the data using multivariate regression. Results: E2 levels did not differ between migrant groups after controlling for age, BMI, physical activity, psychosocial stress, parity, and time since last birth (parous women). Paralleling results from salivary E2, serum E2 did not differ among women who experienced varying developmental conditions. Conclusion: Our results reinforce the hypothesis that E2 levels are stable under challenging environmental conditions. Interpopulation variation may only arise under chronic conditions of extreme nutritional scarcity, energy expenditure, and/or high disease burdens.

Citation

Chaney, C., Begum, K., Núñez-de la Mora, A., Sievert, L., Muttukrishna, S., Harries, V., …Bentley, G. (2022). No impact of developmental conditions on serum estradiol levels among Bangladeshi women in the UK and Bangladesh. American Journal of Human Biology, 34(3), Article e23631. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.23631

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jun 14, 2021
Online Publication Date Jun 26, 2021
Publication Date Mar 2, 2022
Deposit Date Jun 17, 2021
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal American Journal of Human Biology
Print ISSN 1042-0533
Electronic ISSN 1520-6300
Publisher Wiley
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 34
Issue 3
Article Number e23631
DOI https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.23631

Files

Accepted Journal Article (251 Kb)
PDF

Copyright Statement
This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Chaney, C., Begum, K., Núñez-de la Mora, A., Sievert, L. L., Muttukrishna, S., Harries, V., Sharmeen, T., Murphy, L., Gunu, T., Chowdhury, O. & Bentley, G. R. (2022). No impact of developmental conditions on serum estradiol levels among Bangladeshi women in the UK and Bangladesh. American Journal of Human Biology 34(3): e23631, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.23631. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions





You might also like



Downloadable Citations