title: Development and biological function of the female gonads and genitalia in IGF-I deficiency -- Laron syndrome as a model.
abstract: Laron syndrome (LS) or primary GH insensitivity is a unique human model to study the effects of congenital IGF-I deficiency. Within our cohort of 63 patients with LS, 15 female patients were regularly followed since birth or infancy, throughout puberty. We observed that they were short at birth, with small genitalia and gonads -- during puberty, developed delayed puberty but eventually reached between 16 and 19 1/2 years full sexual development. Reproduction is unaffected at a young adult age. It is concluded that IGF-I in concert with the sex hormones has a modulatory but not essential function on female sexual development and maturation.
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology and Diabetes Research Unit, Schneider Children's Medical Center, Petah Tikva, Israel. laronz@clalit.org.il
authors.forename: Zvi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Laron
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005836:Genitalia, Female / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000503:physiopathology; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000502:physiology; D046150:Laron Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011628:Puberty, Delayed / Q000503:physiopathology; D011986:Receptors, Somatotropin / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D011986:Receptors, Somatotropin; D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I