Premature thelarche: clinical and laboratorial assessment by immunochemiluminescent assay.
In order to establish cut-off limits and to distinguish isolated premature thelarche (IPT) from precocious puberty (PP), we evaluated data from 79 girls with premature thelarche, comparing basal and stimulated LH and FSH serum concentrations with those from 91 healthy girls. A GnRH stimulation test was performed in 10 normal girls and in 42 with premature thelarche. Comparison among groups was performed by Kruskal-Wallis and Dunns tests. LH values were significantly greater in girls with IPT than in control groups. Basal gonadotropin concentrations were higher in patients with PP than in controls, but not different from patients with IPT. Peak LH levels after GnRH stimulation distinguished those two groups, with a cut-off value of 4.0 IU/L, but still with minimal overlap. In conclusion, a girl with premature thelarche and LH peak value above 4.5 IU/L has, indeed, PP, but values between 3.5 and 4.5 IU/L point to careful follow-up.
Borges
Maria F
MF
Endocrinology Department, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil. borgmf@uol.com.br
Pacheco
Kátia D
KD
Oliveira
Andréia A
AA
Rita
Cláudia V C
CV
Pacheco
Karla D
KD
Resende
Elisabete A M
EA
Lara
Beatriz H J
BH
Ferreira
Beatriz P
BP
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001940:Breast / Q000254:growth & development*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000379:methods*; D007223:Infant; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D011629:Puberty, Precocious / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D015415:Biomarkers; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone