Association of ghrelin and leptin with reproductive hormones in constitutional delay of growth and puberty
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RESEARCH
Open Access
Association of ghrelin and leptin with reproductive hormones in constitutional delay of growth and puberty Mervat M El-Eshmawy1*, Ibrahim A Abdel Aal2, Amany K El hawary3
Abstract Background: Constitutional delay of growth and puberty (CDGP) is a variation of the onset and timing of pubertal development without a defined endocrine abnormality. Recently published studies indicate that leptin and ghrelin play a role in puberty initiation and progress. They have been implicated in regulation of GnRH secretion, with ghrelin having inhibitory and leptin, facilitatory effects. We hypothesized that elevated ghrelin and reduced leptin concentrations could be implicated in altering the tempo of puberty in adolescents with CDGP. So in the current study we evaluate variations in leptin and ghrelin levels in adolescent boys with CDGP, the relationships between both hormones and reproductive hormones including LH, FSH and testosterone were also evaluated. Methods: The study enrolled 23 adolescent boys with CDGP and 20 healthy controls matched for age and sex. Weight, height, BMI, testicular volume, bone age, bone age delay, serum FSH, LH, testosterone, leptin and ghrelin were assessed. Results: Adolescent boys with CDGP had significantly lower leptin and higher ghrelin than normal controls. Leptin was positively correlated with BMI, bone age, testicular volume, FSH, LH and testosterone and negatively correlated with delayed bone age and ghrelin. Ghrelin was negatively correlated with BMI, bone age, testicular volume, FSH, LH and testosterone. With multiple regression analysis BMI, FSH, LH, testosterone and ghrelin remained independently correlated with leptin while BMI, LH and testosterone remained independently correlated with ghrelin. Conclusion: Elevated serum ghrelin and decreased leptin concentrations and their associations with reproductive hormones may explain the sexual immaturity in adolescent boys with CDGP.
Background Constitutional delay of growth and puberty (CDGP) is a disorder occurring in healthy adolescents who have short stature compared with their peers, delay in bone maturation and delayed puberty [1]. Most children with CDGP begin to deviate from the normal growth curve before age 2 yr, subsequently grow at a relatively normal velocity, and then have a delayed pubertal growth spurt [2]. In boys with CDGP, a testicular volume of 3-4 ml is first reached when they are more than 13.7 years old. The sleep related Luteinizing hormone (LH) increase that characterizes the onset of puberty, is normally * Correspondence: [email protected] 1 Internal Medicine Department, Mansoura Specialized Medical Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
present in CDGP. The LH response to Luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) analogues is intermediate between that of hypogonadal patients and normal pubertal children [3]. CDGP represents the extreme tail of the normal distribution, aggregates in famil
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