Acceleration of luteinizing hormone pulse frequency in adolescent girls with a history of central precocious puberty with versus without hyperandrogenism.

UNLABELLED 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 +/- 1.5) than in CPPB (3.2 +/- 0.4, p < 0.05) and CG (2.9 +/- 0.4, p < 0.01). Deconvolution analysis revealed a greater nighttime LH frequency (pulses/hour) both in CPPA (0.91 +/- 0.06, p < 0.01) and CPPB (0.74 +/- 0.02, p < 0.05) than in CG (0.45 +/- 0.07). CPPA patients maintained a higher frequency than CPPB. Pulsatile LH production was greater in CPPA than in CG (50 +/- 12 vs. 18 +/- 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.