Growth velocity and serum aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen in precocious puberty during gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue treatment.
Growth velocity and serum aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen (P-III-NP) were evaluated in 11 girls (age 3.8-8.5 years) with central precocious puberty during luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LH-RH) analogue treatment (D-Trp6-LH-RH, 60 micrograms/kg im for 28 days, n = 7; D-ser(TBU)6-LH-RH, 1600 micrograms/day intranasally, n = 4). Before treatment, growth velocity (10.2 +/- 1.9 cm/year) and P-III-NP concentrations (12.8 +/- 4.3 micrograms/l) were in the pubertal range. During therapy, growth velocity significantly decreased to the prepubertal levels. P-III-NP concentrations decreased significantly after six months of therapy (7.9 +/- 3.7 micrograms/l, p < 0.001). Three girls with low growth velocity ( < 4 cm/year), stimulated growth hormone peak < 10 micrograms/l, and altered 12-h nocturnal growth hormone secretion at 12 and/or 18 months of treatment, had a more marked decrease in P-III-NP concentrations (patient 3: -65.9%; patient 5: -58.7%; patient 10: -61.0%) after 6 months of therapy. Our results suggest that LH-RH analogue treatment in central precocious puberty may impair growth. In these cases, measurement of serum P-III-NP levels may be an additional marker to monitor growth.
Department of Pediatrics, University of Pisa, Italy.
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G
Saggese
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S
Bertelloni
G I
GI
Baroncelli
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G
Di Nero
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R
Battini
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006128:Growth / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D011347:Procollagen / Q000097:blood*; D011629:Puberty, Precocious / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017329:Triptorelin Pamoate / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011347:Procollagen; C041876:procollagen Type III-N-terminal peptide; D017329:Triptorelin Pamoate