Response of plasma LH and FSH to synthetic LH-RH in children at various pubertal stages
Z. Dickerman, R. Prager-Lewis and Z. Laron
Fifty normal boys and 47 normal girls, aged 5 to 18 years, underwent a
standard luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) test (50 mug/sq m by
rapid intravenous injection), and the plasma levels of LH and
follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) were determined. The results were
analyzed separately according to the pubertal stages for each sex. A wide
range of distribution of the individual measurements of the plasma
gonadotropins throughout the LH-RH tests was found, but the mean values of
the basal and peak levels showed a definite pattern for each sex at the
different pubertal stages. Of particular interest was the sharp rise in
basal plasma FSH level and its marked response to LH-RH in girls at the
onset of puberty. The girls at this stage had the highest basal and peak
FSH levels obtained at any pubertal stage in both sexes. It is concluded
that the establishment of norms of LH and FSH response to a standard dose
of LH-RH will be useful in evaluating normal and abnormal pubertal states
in both sexes.
