title: Clinical and laboratory heterogeneity in idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism.
abstract: Six young men with idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism had 24-h frequent blood sampling studies for measurement of LH, FSH and testosterone. Five of the patients had LH and FSH measured after administration of 100 mug LH-RH during waking and then during sleep. Four of the patients had testicular biopsies performed. The results of the present studies showed that 4 of the patients had no evidence of episodic LH, FSH, or testosterone secretion. The two patients who showed significant sleep related pulses of LH had the highest 24 h mean testosterone concentrations, the best responses to exogenous LH-RH and the most differentiated testicular biopsies. Sleep had no effect on the release of LH or FSH in response to LH-RH. These sutdies suggest that the clinical and laboratory heterogeneity of idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism may be the result of differences in the degree of endogenous LH-RH deficiency.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000172:deficiency; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007006:Hypogonadism / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000172:deficiency*; D008297:Male; D012890:Sleep; D013091:Spermatogenesis; D013737:Testis / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000172:deficiency*
chemical_list: D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D013739:Testosterone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone