Inhibin B (InhB) levels, as measured by a newly developed ELISA, in the assessment of testicular function in normal males and in newborns and infants with Congenital Multiple Pituitary Hormone Deficiency (CMPHD)

CAMPO S; LORETI N; BRASLAVSKY D; GRINSPON R; AMBAO V; BEDECARRAS P; ROPELATO MG; REY R; BERGADA I

Glasgow

Congreso; 50th Annual Meeting of European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology (ESPE); 2011

European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology (ESPE)

Background:In newborn males CMPHD, a life-threatening condition, can be suspected by signs of hypogonadism. InhB has been a valuable tool to assess testicular function from birth to adulthood. A newly developed assay, not requiring sample pre-treatment step, has become available but data on reference levels and its applicability in gonadal dysfunctions are lacking. Objective:Our aim was to establish: a) the normal range of inhB levels using an active® Inhibin B Gen II ELISA (Beckman Coulter, USA) in boys from birth to advanced puberty and b) the usefulness of InhB in the diagnosis of males with CMPHD. Methods:219 normal males and 11 boys with CMPHD aged 1-6 months were included. Serum levels of InhB were determined using Gen II and the previously used Oxford Bio-Innovation (OBI) ELISAs. AMH, testosterone (T) and gonadotrophins were also measured. Results:Serum InhB was 164.8±65.7 pg/mL (mean ±SD) in the 0-2 yr group; then decreased to 77.1±40.2 pg/mL between 2 and 9 yr. InhB was always above the assay’s detection limit. During puberty, peak levels were attained at Tanner stage II (TII) (195.1±70.2) with no significant changes thereafter: TIII: 198±64.9; TIV: 195.4±53.9 and TV: 222.9±69.7. Testicular volume and inhB positively correlated (r=0.64, p