The content of biologically and immunologically active luteinizing hormone in the blood of children with various endocrine diseases

Abstract

The secretion of bioactive LH and the ratio of biologically to immunologically active LH (bLH/iLH) were assessed in 54 healthy girls in the course of sexual development, in 25 girls with primary hypogonadism over the course of development and growth, in 16 girls with early sexual development (ESD), in 12 girls with the polycystic ovaries syndrome (POS), and in 5 girls with early adrenarche. In addition, time course of bLH/iLH was followed up in girls with endocrine diseases during gonadotroph stimulation by gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH). In health, the content of bLH increased more than that of iLH. In girls with primary hypogonadism, the bLH/iLH ratio before puberty is the same as in age-matched healthy controls. With the onset of puberty, quantitative changes in LH are paralleled by changes in its qualitative composition, manifesting by increase of the bLH/iLH ratio. The bLH/iLH ratio in girls with ESD and POS is increased as against age-matched healthy controls. However, in girls with ESD the bLH/iLH ratio does not differ from the value characteristic of elder girls, whereas in POS it is increased even in comparison with healthy women. LH secretion in girls with early adrenarche does not differ from that in healthy controls. GnRH stimulation of gonadotrophs in all groups examined resulted in quantitative and qualitative changes in LH secretion and/or production. Time course of bLH/iLH ratio is characterized by specific features in each of the groups examined.