title: Association between plasma kisspeptin levels and adolescent gynecomastia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gynecomastia is defined as benign proliferation of male breast glandular tissue. To date, the pathophysiology of adolescent gynecomastia (AG) remains unclear. Kisspeptin is a polypeptide that plays an important role in the regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal hormonal axis. In this study, we investigated whether there is a relationship between kisspeptin and AG.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 40 males between 9 and 18 years of age diagnosed with gynecomastia. The control group consisted of 30 young healthy males in the same age range. The participants were evaluated with respect to anthropometric measurements (age, height, body weight, body mass index, breast and pubic stages and testicular volume). The levels of kisspeptin, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, estradiol (E2), testosterone (T), and ratio of E2 to T were measured in both groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age was 13.8 years. There were no differences between the groups in terms of anthropometric parameters, plasma gonadotropin levels, estrogen levels, and E2/T (P > 0.05). Plasma kisspeptin (0.77 and 0.54 ng/mL, P < 0.05) and T (253.9 ng/dL and 117.9 ng/dL) levels were significantly higher in the AG group than in the control group (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Kisspeptin levels are an important factor in AG.
authors: General Pediatric Clinic, Children Hospital, Sanliurfa, Turkey.
authors: Mustafa Arif
authors: MA
authors: Aluclu
authors: Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Faculty of Medicine, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey.
authors: Selcuk
authors: S
authors: Sen
authors: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Acibadem University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors: Muazez
authors: M
authors: Cevik
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D006177:Gynecomastia / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D059648:Kisspeptins / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D059648:Kisspeptins