Abstract
Plasma somatomedin C (SmC) increases gradually throughout childhood and sharply at puberty. To assess the possible contribution of SmC to the accelerated growth of children with true precocious puberty (TPP), we have compared SmC levels in 41 1-7 year old children with TPP (33 girls, 8 boys), 87 age-matched controls, and 110 normal pubertal children. SmC levels were significantly greater in the TPP patients than in age-matched controls (p<.01). SmC levels correlated with Tanner stage in both normal and precocious puberty (Figure).
Treatment of the TPP patients with the LHRH analog, D-Trp6-Pro9-NEt-LHRH (4 ug/kg/d s.c.), decreased both the growth rate and the SmC level (p<.02) as determined by paired t-testing.
We conclude: (1) SmC levels are elevated in TPP, (2) SmC correlates with pubertal stage in TPP, and (3) LHRH analog therapy lowers the SmC level.
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Pescovitz, O., Omite, F., Hench, K. et al. SOMATOMEDIN C IN PRECOCIOUS PUBERTY. Pediatr Res 18 (Suppl 4), 174 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198404001-00485
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198404001-00485