Background:Long-term exposure to toxic substances increases the risk of their accumulation and triggering endocrine disruption.The ill-planned irrigation systems in Uzbekistan led to severe environmental disasters,resulting in aridization and the spread of organochlorine pesticides and toxic metals across the region.Objective:We investigate the influence of negative environmental factors on hormonal activities such as sex steroids,gonadotropic hormones,and growth factors,in addition to potential disruptions in growth rate and anthropometric indicators in prepubertal adolescents living in this region.Methods:This study included 405 prepubertal boys aged 11 to 13 years,residing in the cities of Muynak(un-favorable region)and Nukus(favorable region)of Uzbekistan.We measured 20 anthropometric parameters and assessed somatotype by the Heath-Carter method,peak height velocity(PHV),and maturity offset based on Mir-wald's equation.In addition,the endocrine profile of 8 hormonal parameters was assessed,which includes growth factors,gonadotropins,sex steroids,and thyroid status.Results:We observed a positive dependence of physique,rate of maturation,and level of androgens,stimulated by gonadotropin hormones.Children living in unfavorable environmental regions show a decrease in follicle-stimulating hormone,luteinizing hormone,total testosterone(the best predictor),and anthropometric signs of androgen deficiency.These resulted in an increase in maturity offset and PHV,combined with lower skeletal density and ectomorphic somatotype compared to their peers living in favorable environmental regions.Conclusion:Regional differences in stature,body weight,and anthropometric parameters of adipose tissue,growth factor axis,and thyroid hormones are the influencing indices in the regulation of growth in prepubertal children.We hypothesize that the inhibition of the gonadotropin-testosterone axis may result from endocrine disruption due to higher levels of toxic metals and pesticide exposure.

Background:Long-term exposure to toxic substances increases the risk of their accumulation and triggering endocrine disruption.The ill-planned irrigation systems in Uzbekistan led to severe environmental disasters,resulting in aridization and the spread of organochlorine pesticides and toxic metals across the region.Objective:We investigate the influence of negative environmental factors on hormonal activities such as sex steroids,gonadotropic hormones,and growth factors,in addition to potential disruptions in growth rate and anthropometric indicators in prepubertal adolescents living in this region.Methods:This study included 405 prepubertal boys aged 11 to 13 years,residing in the cities of Muynak(un-favorable region)and Nukus(favorable region)of Uzbekistan.We measured 20 anthropometric parameters and assessed somatotype by the Heath-Carter method,peak height velocity(PHV),and maturity offset based on Mir-wald's equation.In addition,the endocrine profile of 8 hormonal parameters was assessed,which includes growth factors,gonadotropins,sex steroids,and thyroid status.Results:We observed a positive dependence of physique,rate of maturation,and level of androgens,stimulated by gonadotropin hormones.Children living in unfavorable environmental regions show a decrease in follicle-stimulating hormone,luteinizing hormone,total testosterone(the best predictor),and anthropometric signs of androgen deficiency.These resulted in an increase in maturity offset and PHV,combined with lower skeletal density and ectomorphic somatotype compared to their peers living in favorable environmental regions.Conclusion:Regional differences in stature,body weight,and anthropometric parameters of adipose tissue,growth factor axis,and thyroid hormones are the influencing indices in the regulation of growth in prepubertal children.We hypothesize that the inhibition of the gonadotropin-testosterone axis may result from endocrine disruption due to higher levels of toxic metals and pesticide exposure.