Anti-Müllerian hormone in children: a ten-year prospective longitudinal study (EarlyBird 39).

BACKGROUND: Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is produced by Sertoli cells of the testes and granulosa cells of the ovary. There are limited prospective longitudinal data assessing AMH concentrations throughout childhood in both sexes.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine AMH throughout childhood with particular reference to the relationship of AMH to pubertal development in both sexes.

DESIGN: This is a prospective longitudinal non-intervention cohort study with annual sampling for participants aged 5-14 years.

SETTING: Community cohort study.

PARTICIPANTS: A total of 307 healthy children (170 boys) recruited at 5 years from randomly selected schools in Plymouth, UK, participated in this study. Data sets are complete in 76% of the children at 14 years of age.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Annual measures of serum AMH, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH), Tanner stage (TS).

RESULTS: Boys: AMH was stable from 5 to 7 years, increased slightly from 8 to 10 years, then declined at TS2. This decline was preceded by rising FSH and the appearance of LH. AMH correlated inversely with gonadotrophic hormones during puberty. Girls: AMH increased slightly between 6 and 10 years, peaking during the final prepubertal year before returning to near baseline levels at TS3. Inverse correlations between AMH and FSH were apparent during the prepubertal years.

CONCLUSIONS: Our longitudinal data clarified the development of individual AMH levels over a 10-year period. We described modest late prepubertal peaks in both boys and girls, and confirmed the pubertal decline in boys. The inverse association of AMH with gonadotrophins in young females supports its role as a marker of ovarian function, while the precise role for AMH in relation to testicular function in young males remains unclear.