Hormonal Changes in Puberty I. Correlation of Serum Luteinizing Hormone and Follicle Stimulating Hormone with Stages of Puberty, Testicular Size, and Bone Age in Normal Boys

Abstract

ExtractThe concentration of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) in serum was determined using a double antibody radioimmunoassay method in each of 106 normal boys aged 5-16 years. The boys were grouped according to the stage of puberty (Pj-P 5 ) using the classification of TANNER.The serum LH and FSH, LH/FSH ratio, and testicular volume index (TVI) for boys prepuberty (Pj) and at different stages of puberty (P 2 -P 5 ) are shown in figure 1 and table I. The mean value of LH in prepubertal boys was 4.2 ng/ml, which steadily rose to a concentration of 5.3 ng/ml at P 4 _ 6 . The differences between the values for LH in early puberty (P 2 ) and at a more advanced stage of puberty (P 4 _ 5 ) were statistically significant. The mean value for serum FSH in the prepubertal boy was 1.4 ng/ml. Serum FSH rose steadily through the early stages of puberty (P 1 -P 3 ) with no further rise from P 3 to P 4 _ 5 . These changes were reflected in the LH/FSH ratio which fell between P 1 and P 2 , but increased between P 2 and P 4 . Testicular size (TVI) showed a gradual increase from P x through P 4 _ 5 .A comparison of serum LH and FSH, LH/FSH ratio, and TVI with chronological age is indicated in table II. A slight increase in the mean levels of serum LH and FSH was observed from age 9 to age 12 with a continued rise to 15 years and older. Serum LH seemed to rise at an earlier age than serum FSH. The TVI showed a definite increase from chronologic age 8 through 11. A pronounced change in testicular size from age 11 through 15 was observed during the period of sharp rise in serum FSH.The correlation of bone age with concentrations of LH and FSH in serum, LH/FSH ratio, and TVI is shown in table III. A significant rise in LH was seen in boys with a bone age of 9-10 years, with a further increase at a bone age of 13-15 years and older. Serum FSH showed a steady increment from a bone age of 11 to 14 years. The most pronounced increase in TVI was seen at a bone age of 11 through 15 years.The relation of concentrations of LH and FSH in serum and LH/FSH ratio to the TVI is presented in table IV. Mean LH and FSH showed a gradual rise from a TVI of < 2 to 10.1-12. Serum LH rose and serum FSH fell, however, with the increase in TVI from 10.1-12 to 12.1-16.In four patients with chroma tin-positive seminiferous tubular dysgenesis (Klinefelter's syndrome), the mean serum LH concentration was 11.3 ng/ml and the mean serum FSH concentration was 21.6 ng/ml. BURR, SIZONENKO, KAPLAN and GRUMBAGHThe mean serum LH in 14 patients with multiple pituitary hormone deficiencies was 2.1 ng/ml and the mean serum FSH was 1.5 ng/ml. The small differences in the concentration of LH and FSH in prepubertal boys compared with that observed in children with hypopituitarism stress the need for further definition of the sensitivity of the assay for serum samples. The serum values reported are of relative not absolute significance. SpeculationThe detection of serum FSH and LH prior to puberty, and the increase in serum FSH and LH coincident...

Final height and gonad function after total body irradiation during childhood

“…11,12 and testicular volume as milliliter calculated from clinically measured testicular dimensions. 13 The pubertal growth was the increase in height between the clinical onset of puberty and the final height. Target height was calculated from parental heights.…”

Factors affecting gonadal function after bone marrow transplantation during childhood

“…In girls we recorded the age at breast development, and the occur- rence and progress of menstruation; 7 in boys we recorded testicular dimensions. 8,9 The basal plasma concentrations of estradiol in girls and testosterone in boys, and of gonadotropins (follicle-stimulating hormone, FSH and luteinizing hormone, LH), were evaluated in all subjects. Individual values of plasma estradiol were not used because they correspond to the time of the cycle.…”

“…None of them had any central nervous system involvement at diagnosis, nor had they been given irradiation other than total body irradiation (TBI). Chronic graft-versus-host disease occurred in 28 cases (cases 9,11,12,17,18,21,[23][24][25]27, 29 and 31 in girls and cases 5,9,11,12,15,18,19,21,26,29,30, 33, 35-37 and 39 in boys) and had been treated with corticosteroids and cyclosporine. All were in remission without complications.…”

Puberty begins with a characteristic subcutaneous body fat mass in each sex

“…At the clinical visit, boys' genital development stage on the Tanner scale (Tanner, 1962) and testicular volume index (TVI) ( AE 0Á1ml) (Burr et al 1970) were evaluated. In girls, mammary development stage on the Tanner scale (Tanner, 1962) was recorded.…”