Abstract
HH is common (40%) in beta thalassemic patients, therefore has to be adequately treated (avoiding hepatotoxic drugs) to ensure a well adjusted sexual life. Considering that in HH patients we achieved good results in pubertal development, using hCG treatment (1500, IU every 6 days), 8 HH thalassemic patients (14 5/12-17 yrs;all with bone age more than 13 6/12)were treated with the same regimen. In 4 out of these 8, purified FSH (75 IU every 3 days) was added to hCG to evaluate the FSH effect on testosterone (T) response. (1° group hCG alone, 2*group hCG+FSH; Profasi HP and Metrodin Serono). In order to evaluate the kinetic of T response, plasma levels of T were determined basally and 1,2,4 and 6 days after hCG injection. This dinamic study and a clinical examination were performed at the beginning, at 4th month and 12 month of therapy. Results obtained in the 1° group confirmed our previous data obtained in HH, reaching stage G2-G3 after 12 month of therapy. In the 2° group, however testis size and T response were significantly higher with respect to the 1° group. At 4th month in the 1° and 2° group testis size and the area under T courve were (M±SE) 3.18±0.5ml and 13447±1325 vs4.6 ±0.25ml (p<0.02) and 17427±962.5 (p<0.016) respectively. At 12th month in the 1° and 2° group testis size and T area were increased to 6.1±0.25ml, 2354±1361 and 8.1±0.6ml (p<0.01) and 34515±2664 (p<0.01) respectively. Our results demonstrate that hCG or hCG+FSH treatments are able to induce a good sexual development; moreo-FSH addition seems to improve not only testis size but also T response.
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Balducci, R., Toscano, V., Finocchi, G. et al. EFFECT OF HCG OR HCG+FSH TREATMENTS IN THALASSEMIC PATIENTS WITH HYPOGONADOTROPIC HYPOGONADISM (HH). Pediatr Res 22, 239 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198708000-00153
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198708000-00153