Objective: To investigate the efficacy and side-effects of long-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue (GnRHa) in treatment of idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP) in girls.
Methods: Thirty six ICPP girls were treated with GnRHa. The secondary sexual characteristics, uterus volume, ovary volume, follicle development, bone age/chronological age (BA/CA), predicted adult height (PAH), serum inhibitor A (INHA) and inhibitor B (INHB), body mass index (BMI) and growth rate were compared before and after treatment. Bone age was assessed using the Greulich-Pyle method, PAH was calculated by the Payley-Pinneau method, serum INHA and INHB were measured by ELISA, and serum LH and FSH were measured by chemoluminescence.
Result: (1) Breast development was reduced after 3 to approximately 6 months of treatment, and no continued development were observed. In 12 girls the breast development returned from Tanner II to B1. (2) Both uterus and ovary volume were decreased after 6 months [(3.28 +/-2.20)ml comrade with (1.27 +/-0.69)ml and (3.62 +/-1.94)ml compared with (1.24 +/-0.50)ml, respectively]; the follicle was reduced or even disappeared; and the serum INHA and INHB were decreased from Log(0.93 +/-0.35)ng/L and Log(1.95 +/-0.37)ng/L to Log(0.60 +/-0.32)ng/L and Log(1.46 +/-0.32)ng/L, respectively. (3) BA/CA was decreased from 1.40 +/-0.20 to 1.26 +/-0.15; PAH was increased from (149.12 +/-4.04)cm to (152.84 +/-3.72)cm after one-year treatment; BMI showed no significant changes (16.04 +/-1.68 compared with 15.93 +/-1.69).
Conclusion: GnRHa can effectively inhibit the development of sex gland and the secondary sexual characteristics, stabilize or delay bone maturation, improve the predicted adult height, and has no observed side-effects in the short-term treatment for ICPP girls.