This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a related Letter to the Editor Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Copyright Permission Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kadva, A. Articles by Silman, R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kadva, A. Articles by Silman, R.

Elevated Nocturnal Melatonin Is a Consequence of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Deficiency in Women with Hypothalamic Amenorrhea

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (A.K., O.D., W.L.D., R.S.), and Department of Endocrinology (J.M.), St. Bartholomew’s and the Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Whitechapel, London E1 1BB, United Kingdom

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Aban Kadva, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St. Bartholomew’s and the Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Whitechapel, London E1 1BB, United Kingdom. E-mail: a.kadva{at}mds.qmw.ac.uk

Elevated nocturnal melatonin is found in women with idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH), but it is not known whether this is implicated in the etiology of their GnRH deficiency. It is unlikely that nocturnal melatonin can be implicated in the etiology of the GnRH deficiency of Kallmann’s syndrome (KS), because this condition is caused by defective neuronal migration in embryonic life. We therefore measured nocturnal melatonin in women with IHH and KS to determine whether it was elevated in one or both conditions and thereby to determine whether it was implicated as cause or consequence of GnRH deficiency.

Four women with IHH, 3 women with KS, and 7 individually matched (age and body size) controls were recruited. Frequent day- and nighttime samples were taken for LH pulsatility studies. All patients showed absent or diminished LH pulsatility, compared with their respective controls. Samples were also taken over 24 h for melatonin and 6-sulphatoxymelatonin (the principle metabolite of melatonin and an independent marker of its secretion). Melatonin and 6-sulphatoxymelatonin levels were elevated in 6 of 7 patients (compared with their matched controls) and were significantly elevated in the KS group (compared with their controls).

The finding of elevated nocturnal melatonin (and its metabolite) in GnRH-deficient women with KS (as well as IHH) suggests that nocturnal melatonin is elevated as a consequence of GnRH deficiency, irrespective of its etiology.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Andrico, A. Gambera, C. Specchia, C. Pellegrini, L. Falsetti, and E. Sartori Leptin in functional hypothalamic amenorrhoea Hum. Reprod., August 1, 2002; 17(8): 2043 - 2048. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Falsetti, A. Gambera, L. Barbetti, and C. Specchia Long-Term Follow-Up of Functional Hypothalamic Amenorrhea and Prognostic Factors J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., February 1, 2002; 87(2): 500 - 505. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Luboshitzky, M. Levi, Z. Shen-Orr, Z. Blumenfeld, P. Herer, and P. Lavie Long-term melatonin administration does not alter pituitary-gonadal hormone secretion in normal men Hum. Reprod., January 1, 2000; 15(1): 60 - 65. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]