The measurement of urinary gonadotropins for assessment and management of pubertal disorder (original) (raw)

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Measurement of urinary LH (uLH) and FSH (uFSH) may facilitate non-invasive pubertal assessment but there is a need for further validation by studying children and adolescents with disorders of puberty. DESIGN: 65 cases (Male: 25) with a median age of 12 years (2.9–18.1) supplied at least one non-timed urine sample for uLH and uFSH measurement by immunoassay and corrected for creatinine excretion. 25 cases were receiving GnRH-agonist (GnRH-a) at the time of sample collection. In 41 cases, urine samples were collected prior to a LHRH test and in 12 cases matched serum samples for basal LH (sLH) and FSH (sFSH) were also available. RESULTS: There was a significant correlation between sLH and uLH:uCr (r=0.82; p-value <0.001) and sFSH and uFSH:uCr (r=0.93; p-value <0.001). Based on receiver operator characteristics analysis, a uLH:uCr value of 0.05 IU/mmol as a cut-off would detect a LH peak >5U I/L with a sensitivity of 86% and a specificity of 72% with a positive predictive value of 93%. In pubertal boys (6) and girls (22) with a sLH peak >5UI/L, median uLH:uCr was 0.27 IU/mmol (0.27–0.28) and 0.17 IU/mmol (0.09–0.43), respectively. The median uFSH:uCr was 0.51 IU/mmol (0.41–0.60) for boys and 1.1 IU/mmol (0.21–2.44) for girls. In the 25 cases on GnRH-a, the median uLH:uCr for boys and girls was 0.02 IU/mmol (0.01–0.02) and 0.02 IU/mmol (0.004–0.07), respectively, and the median uFSH:uCr was 0.07 IU/mmol (0.05–0.09) and 0.27 IU/mmol (0.09–0.54), respectively. CONCLUSION: Urinary gonadotrophins reflect serum gonadotrophin concentration and may represent a reliable non-invasive method of assessing pubertal progress.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Developmental Endocrinology Research Group, School of Medicine, Royal Hospital for Children, South Glasgow University Hospital Campus, University of Glasgow, 1345 Govan Road, Glasgow, G51 4TF, UK
    Laura Lucaccioni, Avril Mason, Andreas Kyriakou, Mohammed Guftar Shaikh & Syed Faisal Ahmed MD, FRCPCH
  2. Post-graduate School of Paediatrics, Departments of Medical and Surgical Sciences of Mothers, Children and Adults, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, Paediatric Unit, Modena, Italy
    Laura Lucaccioni & Lorenzo Iughetti
  3. Department of Biochemistry, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow, UK
    Jane McNeilly
  4. Pediatric Unit, Pediatric Endocrinology Clinic Carlo Poma Hospital, Strada Lago Paiolo, Mantua, Italy
    Claudio Giacomozzi

Authors

  1. Laura Lucaccioni
  2. Jane McNeilly
  3. Avril Mason
  4. Claudio Giacomozzi
  5. Andreas Kyriakou
  6. Mohammed Guftar Shaikh
  7. Lorenzo Iughetti
  8. Syed Faisal Ahmed MD, FRCPCH

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Syed Faisal Ahmed MD, FRCPCH.

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Lucaccioni, L., McNeilly, J., Mason, A. et al. The measurement of urinary gonadotropins for assessment and management of pubertal disorder.Hormones 15, 377–384 (2016). https://doi.org/10.14310/horm.2002.1690

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