title: Anterior pituitary gland assessment in sickle cell anaemia patients with delayed menarche.
abstract: Pituitary gland dysfunction and its contribution to menarcheal delay in sickle cell anaemia patients was investigated. Ten SS patients mean age 17.5 years who had not achieved menarche were recruited and 10 each of AS and AA controls, mean ages 17.4 and 17.7 years were used as controls to study the effect of the heterozygous state. Dynamic studies with LHRH and TRH were performed for 60 minutes and LH, FSH, PRL and TSH assays were done. Median basal values were significantly lower in the SS patients compared with the AS and AA controls for LH, FSH and PRL. LH: 3.0; 7.1; 7.7 U/L, FSH: 2.1: 4.3: 5.1 U/L. PRL: 94.5; 590; 390 U/L, respectively. The median basal TSH values did not show any significant difference between the SS subjects (7.3 U/L) and the AS and AA controls (5.4 U/L) and 5.6 U/L, respectively. The readily releasable pool also showed the same pattern for LH, FSH and PRL as the basal values while the SS subjects had higher median TSH releasable pool values that were significantly different from those of the AA controls. From the prolactin responses three subjects demonstrated maturational delay in menarcheal achievement while seven demonstrated isolated gonadotrophin deficiency. It is concluded that SS patients with delayed menarche have a hypothalamopituitary axis dysfunction that gives rise to delay in menarcheal achievement and metabolic adaptations to stress of illness. The heterozygous state did not delay menarcheal onset.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Pathology, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria.
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Abbiyesuku
authors.forename: B O
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Osotimehin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D006062:Gonadotropins / Q000172:deficiency; D006579:Heterozygote; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D007018:Hypopituitarism / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008572:Menarche; D009549:Nigeria; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D011628:Puberty, Delayed / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D012805:Sickle Cell Trait / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone
chemical_list: D006062:Gonadotropins; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone; D011388:Prolactin; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D013972:Thyrotropin