Plasma glycoprotein hormone alpha-subunit in the syndrome of gonadal dysgenesis: the effect of estrogen replacement in hypergonadotropic hypogonadism.

Abstract

Elevated plasma LH and FSH levels in hypergonadotropic hypogonadism can be reduced byestrogen therapy, but the change in readily releasable glycoprotein hormone α-subunit with therapy is undefined. We administered 100 μg LRF iv to seven patients (11–19 yr old)with the syndrome of gonadal dysgenesis before and during 9 months of therapy with oral conjugatedestrogens at a dose of 0.3 mg/day. The control group was seven normal girls, aged 12–16 yr. Mean basal glycoprotein hormone levels for the untreated and treated gonadal dysgenesis groups and the control group were, respectively: α-subunit, 4.2, 1.3, and 0.8 ng/ml; LH, 9.3, 3.3, and 1.4 ng/ml; and FSH, 46.7, 17.8, and 1.6 ng/ml. Mean peak LRF-stimulated values for the untreated and treated gonadal dysgenesis groups and the control group were, respectively: α-subunit, 18.9, 5.1, and 3.7 ng/ml; LH, 43.4, 11.8, and 6.4 ng/ml; and FSH, 78.0, 23.3, and 3.6 ng/ml. Mean basal and peak plasma α-subunit, LH, andFSH concentrations in untreated patients with gonadal...