Sexual precocity induced by ovarian follicular cysts. Is autoimmunity involved?
A 2-year-old girl presented with gonadotrophin-independent precocious puberty due to ovarian follicles. Central precocious puberty was excluded by several GnRH-tests and overnight LH sampling. There were no signs of McCune-Albright syndrome. An ovarian tumour was excluded by laparotomy and biopsies. Abdominal sonography demonstrated follicles occurring mostly in the left, sometimes in the right, ovary. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) purified from the patient's serum was capable of stimulating DNA synthesis in granulosa cells of rat ovarian segments kept in organ culture. Since FSH had a similar in-vitro action it is hypothesized that this patient's IgG mimics the action of FSH.
Stokvis-Brantsma
W H
WH
University Hospital for Children and Youth, Het Wilhelmina Kinderziekenhuis, State University Utrecht, The Netherlands.
van Weissenbruch
M M
MM
Wit
J M
JM
Schoemaker
J
J
Drexhage
H A
HA
D000818:Animals; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D003338:Corpus Luteum / Q000378:metabolism; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D005497:Follicular Cyst / Q000150:complications*; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D007223:Infant; D007985:Leydig Cells / Q000276:immunology; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D011629:Puberty, Precocious / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D004958:Estradiol; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D004247:DNA; D001205:Ascorbic Acid