Figure 1.

Plasma DHEAS median and normal range during healthy childhood. DHEAS determined by LCMSMS. Concentrations fall during the neonatal period due to waning function of the fetal zone of the adrenal cortex. They begin to rise again starting at 3 to 6 years of age. Note: 6- to 8-year-old girls were studied (rather than 6- to 9-years-old, as in boys) to minimize the contribution of true puberty to the findings. Nevertheless, boys had significantly higher levels at most ages from 6 years onward, a trend consistent with most data. These results correlate closely with, but are lower than, those obtained by a standard direct assay of DHEAS in serum: DHEAS by radioimmunoassay = 1.8 (DHEAS by LCMSMS) – 8.4 (personal communication with AE Kulle, May 26, 2017). To convert DHEAS in µg/dL to µmol/L, multiply by 0.0271.

Graphed from data of Kulle et al (2).