Responsivity of pituitary gonadotropes to luteinizing hormone-releasing factor in idiopathic precocious puberty, precocious thelarche, precocious adrenarche, and in patients treated with medroxyprogesterone acetate.

One hundred micrograms synthetic luteinizing hormone-releasing factor (LRF) were administered to 13 girls and 2 boys with idiopathic precocious puberty, 3 girls with precocious thelarche, 2 girls with precocious adrenarche, and 5 children treated with medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA). Luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and sex steroid responses were assessed. The mean readily releasable LH rose to a peak of 8.4 plus or minus 1. 8 ng/ml (LER 960) in the children with idiopathic precocious puberty and was significantly greater than in normal prepubertal (1.8 plus or minus 0.14) or pubertal children (4.9 ng/ml) (LER 869) was higher in precocious puberty but not significantly greater than in normal prepubertal (5.3 plus or minus 1.9) or pubertal girls (6.0 plus or minus 1.2). The mean concentration of plasma estradiol rose significantly above resting levels after LRF in the girls with idiopathic precocious puberty. The LH response in girls with precocious the larche was in the prepubertal range. In 4 of 5 children with sexual precocity treated with MPA, the LH release evoked by LRF was diminished.