Abstract
We have previously shown that luteinizing hormone releasing factor (LRF) elicits a sharp increase in releasable LH at puberty. To evaluate premature neural activation of the hypothalamic gonadostat, 100 μg of synthetic LRF was administered to 15 children with IPP (age 1-1/2 - 7-10/12 yr). The peak LH response (8.4±1.8 (SE) ng/ml LER 960) was significantly greater in IPP than in normal pubertal (Stage P2-4) children (4.9±0.3) as well as normal prepubertal (P1) children (1.8±.14). The peak FSH response (8.4±1.4 LER 869) in IPP was similar to P2-4 (6.0±1.2) or P1 (5.3±1.9) girls. In 4 children with precocious thelarche or adrenarche, the LH response did not differ from P1. 100 μg of LRF was administered to 7 prepubertal, glucocorticoid-treated girls with CAH (age 3-6/12 - 9-8/12). The LH peak (2.0±0.4) did not differ from P1. The peak plasma FSH (8.1±1.6) also did not differ from P1 or P2-4 girls, but was significantly greater than in P1 and P2-4 boys. These results suggest that: (1) a pubertal pattern of LH release occurs in children with IPP, presumably secondary to a premature increase in endogenous secretion of LRF; (2) exposure to high levels of sex steroids in CAH during fetal life and infancy did not seem to cause an early maturation of the pituitary response to LRF; (3) the normal female pattern of LRF-induced FSH release (which is significantly greater than in males) was not altered by the prenatal androgen exposure.
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Reiter, E., Savage, D., Conte, F. et al. THE RESPONSE TO LRF IN IDIOPATHIC PRECOCIOUS PUBERTY (IPP) AND CONGENITAL ADRENAL HYPERPLASIA (CAH). Pediatr Res 8, 373 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197404000-00199
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197404000-00199