Abstract
In the last 10 years there has been an apparent increase in the number of cases of PT. 460 normal healthy girls of different socio-economic (SE) groups were specifically examined to detect the presence of PT. 65 of them had palpable breast tissue ≥ 1cm(14.1%): this incidence was not different in higher (15.7%) than in lower SE groups (12.7%) 53 girls with PT have entered in a study protocol; none of them have additional signs of precocious development. In 49% of the patients PT presents the persistance of neonatal thelarche. There is no history of known contact with estrogenic coumpounds. A detailed nutritional investigation did not show significant differences between affected and control girls of similar age and SE group.
Heights and weights of patients are normally distributed around the mean for age. Bone age uas significantly advanced in only two cases and retarded in two. Ovarian size was X 0.81 ml 0.48 in PT and 0.47 ml ± 0.22 in controls. Cysts > 0.7 cm havenot been observed. Basal serum Prolactin, LH and FSH were 20.2 ng/ml ± 11.7, 0.48 and 2.7 ± 1.4 respectively in PT and 20.6, 0.35 ± 0.42 and 1.86 ± 1.1 respectively in controls. After LHRH patients with PT showed a peak of LH= 5.05 ± 2.78 and of FSH= 29.17 ± 17.6 mlU/ml. Plasma Estradiol was 29.2 ± 12.1 in PT and 30.6 ± 12.0 in controls, but total estrogenic activity in plasma by RRA was 201.1 and 78.8 pg of E2 equivalents/ml. respectively. Presence of Stilbestrol (DES) and Zearalenone (Z) was excluded by TLC. This method and a sensitive RRA were used to detect presence of DES, Z and total estrogenic activity in meat; up to know, 30 samples of beef have been negative. Conclusions: The hormonal prolife of the patients is not different from that observed in normal girls of similar age, with the exception of increased estrogenic activity in plasma measured by RRA, a highly sensitive assay; 2 We have nor found estrogenic contamination in the samples of chicken and beef assayed; a larger number of samples as well as other foods need to be studied; 3 Ue cannot rule out the possibility that PT is a variant form of normal development whose prevalence has not been previously established.
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Youlton, R., Valladares, L., Garcia, H. et al. PREMATURE TELARCHE (PT): STUDY OF ITS FRECUENCY AND ETIOLOGICAL FACTORS. PRELIMINARY REPORT. Pediatr Res 28, 421 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199010000-00039
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199010000-00039