Acceleration of LH Pulse Frequency in Adolescent Girls with a History Central Precocious Puberty with versus without Hyperandrogenism

ESCOBAR ME; ROPELATO MG; BALLERINI MG; GRYNGARTEN M; GARCIA RUDAZ MC; VELDHUIS JD; BARONTINI M

HORMONE RESEARCH

Basilea

Año: 2007 vol. 68 p. 278 - 285

0301-0163

Some adolescents with a history of idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP) develop hyperandrogenism. Hypothesis: Luteinizing hormone (LH) hypersecretion could be a common mechanism underlying ICPP and polycystic ovary syndrome. Aim: To explore the GnRH-LH axis in those patients. Design: To compare overnight LH secretion in 7 healthy adolescents (CG) with that in patients with prior ICPP [5 with (CPPA) and 7 without (CPPB) hyperandrogenism]. To analyze daytime LH secretion in those patients. Methods: LH secretion was quantified by immunofluorometry and deconvolution analysis. Results: Nighttime mean LH (international units/liter) was higher in CPPA (6.9 8 1.5) than in CPPB (3.2 8 0.4, p ! 0.05) and CG (2.9 8 0.4, p ! 0.01). Deconvolu- tion analysis revealed a greater nighttime LH frequency (pulses/hour) both in CPPA (0.91 8 0.06, p ! 0.01) and CPPB (0.74 8 0.02, p ! 0.05) than in CG (0.45 8 0.07). CPPA patients maintained a higher frequency than CPPB. Pulsatile LH production was greater in CPPA than in CG (50 8 12 vs. 18 8 3 IU/l/day, p ! 0.01). Daytime mass of LH released per burst and pulsatile production rate were significantly greater in CPPA than in CPPB patients. Conclusions: Hyperandrogenic adolescents with prior ICPP show increased pulsatile LH secretion. Augmentation of LH pulsatility may predispose to or cause hyperandrogenism in some adolescents with a history of precocious puberty.