The role of estrogens in male skeletal development.

[aromatase deficiency]

The developing human skeleton is known to be influenced by the presence of sex steroids . In girls , estrogens have been considered to be the dominant hormone , whereas in boys , androgens have occupied a primary physiological role in terms of bone mass accrual . Although these views are still current , recent observations made of rare defects in estrogen receptor sensitivity or estrogen synthesis have called attention to the importance of estrogens in the developing male skeleton . In these human genetic models , the affected men have demonstrated continuous linear skeletal growth , open epiphyses , lack of pubertal growth spurt , and reduced bone mass . In the example of men with aromatase deficiency , lacking estrogens from birth , administration of estrogen led to impressive increases in bone density , maturation of the skeletal growth plates , and cessation of linear growth . Animal models mimicking these human syndromes by knockout technology , have tended to support these observations . The data argue for a primary role of estrogens in the developing male skeleton , while not diminishing the important role for androgens .

Diseases
Validation

Diseases presenting "bone mass" symptom

aromatase deficiency

dentin dysplasia

dentinogenesis imperfecta

familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia

You can validate or delete this automatically detected symptom