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Urinary Excretion of Immunoreactive Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone-Like Material in Prepubertal and Pubertal Children

Department of Pediatrics, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa, and the Ed Wright Pediatric Endocrinology Research Laboratory, All Children's Hospital St. Petersburg, Florida

A urinary product with immunological similarity to Gn-RH has been quantified by radioimmunoassay. The i-Gn-RH-like material apparently has a (partial) structure consistent with the 59 amino acid sequence of hypothalamic Gn-RH. It inhibits the binding of ^l25I-Gn-RH toanti Gn-RH serum in a manner parallel to synthetic standard, is absorbed by incubation with anti Gn-RH serum, and comigrates with synthetic Gn-RH on Sephadex column chromatography. The concentration of i-Gn-RH-like material is maximal in pubertal males. The total urinary excretion of this substance is two-fold greater in pubertal subjects of both sexes than in prepubertal children. There is no diurnal variation in the excretion of this material. There are significant positive correlations between the urinary content of iGN-RH-like material and LH and FSH. The site of origin, structure and physiological significance of this immunological product remain to be elucidated.

Supported by the National Foundation-March of Dimes Grants 1-323, C-199 and Basil O'Connor Start Grant 5-71, and USPHS Grant HD 08313.

Received June 28, 1976.