Table 2. Steroid hormone z-scores in children from the placebo and metformin groups.

a) Children of both sexes
	The maternal PCOS effecta			The metformin effectb
	Placebo, n = 54	p	Metformin, n = 63	Δ M-P (95% CI)	p
	Mean (95% CI)		Mean (95% CI)
Androstenedione z-score	0.53 (0.27 to 0.79)	.0001*	0.66 (0.41 to 0.91)	0.13 (-0.23 to 0.49)	.470
Testosterone z-score	0.53 (0.29 to 0.77)	< .0001*	0.53 (0.30 to 0.76)	0.00 (-0.33 to 0.33)	.995
SHBG z-score	-0.28 (-0.55 to 0.00)	.051	-0.28 (-0.51 to -0.05)	0.01 (-0.36 to 0.34)	.973
Cortisol z-score	0.34 (0.08 to 0.61)	.012	0.69 (0.42 to 0.96)	0.35 (-0.03 to 0.72)	.070
17-OH-progesterone z-score	0.42 (0.15 to 0.69)	.003	0.83 (0.62 to 1.04)	0.41 (0.08 to 0.74)	.015
11-deoxycortisol z-score	0.13 (-0.11 to 0.37)	.269	0.46 (0.22 to 0.69)	0.32 (-0.01 to 0.66)	.056
Free testosterone z-score	0.67 (0.38 to 0.96)	< .0001*	0.63 (0.35 to 0.91)	-0.04(-0.44 to 0.36)	.841
b) Boys
	The maternal PCOS effecta			The metformin effectb
	Placebo, n = 24	p	Metformin, n = 31	Δ M-P (95% CI)	p
	Mean (95% CI)		Mean (95% CI)
Androstenedione z-score	0.27 (-0.15 to 0.69)	.195	0.74 (0.45 to 1.02)	0.46 (-0.02 to 0.95)	.058
Testosterone z-score	0.25 (-0.20 to 0.70)	.264	0.54 (0.22 to 0.85)	0.29 (-0.23 to 0.81)	.268
SHBG z-score	0.03 (-0.45 to 0.51)	.905	-0.43 (-0.75 to -0.11)	-0.46 (-0.99 to 0.08)	.096
Cortisol z-score	0.51 (0.17 to 0.84)	.005	0.82 (0.37 to 1.27)	0.31 (-0.27 to 0.89)	.284
17-OH-progesterone z-score	0.40 (-0.07 to 0.87)	.089	0.93 (0.61 to 1.24)	0.53 (-0.00 to 1.06)	.052
11-deoxycortisol z-score	0.08 (-0.31 to 0.47)	.670	0.74 (0.38 to 1.09)	0.65 (0.14 to 1.17)	.014
Free testosterone z-score	0.25 (-0.23 to 0.73)	.292	0.67 (0.34 to 1.00)	0.42 (-0.13 to 0.97)	.133
c) Girls
	The maternal PCOS effecta			The metformin effectb
	Placebo, n = 30	p	Metformin, n = 32 Mean (95% CI)	Δ M-P (95% CI)	p
	Mean (95% CI)
Androstenedione z-score	0.73 (0.41 to 1.06)	< .0001*	0.59 (0.16 to 1.01)	-0.15 (-0.68 to 0.38)	.580
Testosterone z-score	0.76 (0.51 to 1.00)	< .0001*	0.53 (0.18 to 0.88)	-0.23 (-0.66 to 0.19)	.280
SHBG z-score	-0.51(-0.83 to-0.19)	.003	-0.13 (-0.47 to 0.20)	0.37 (-0.08 to 0.83)	.104
Cortisol z-score	0.21 (-0.19 to 0.61)	.291	0.56 (0.24 to 0.89)	0.35 (-0.15 to 0.86)	.165
17-OH-progesterone z-score	0.44 (0.11 to 0.76)	.010	0.74 (0.44 to 1.03)	0.30 (-0.13 to 0.73)	.162
11-deoxycortisol z-score	0.18 (-0.14 to 0.49)	.291	0.19 (-0.11 to 0.48)	0.01 (-0.41 to 0.44)	.952
Free testosterone z-score	0.99 (0.67 to 1.32)	< .0001*	0.59 (0.12 to 1.06)	-0.40 (-0.96 to 0.16)	.157

*p-values statistically significant after Holm-Bonferroni adjustment.

^aThe impact of maternal PCOS on steroid hormones was assessed by the deviation in z-scores between the placebo group and the reference population (z-score zero) by one sample t-tests.

^bΔ M-P expresses the metformin effect on hormone mean z-scores, assessed by two sample t-tests.

All z-scores were calculated from the Bergen Growth Study 2 references, according to gender and age.

CI: confidence interval; SHBG: sex hormone binding globulin.