Aim: The effect of the variation in hormonal suppression on bone maturation, growth velocity, and adult height prediction was examined during treatment with leuprolide acetate for central precocious puberty (CPP).
Methods: Ten girls on variable doses of Lupron were studied for one year. Height, weight, body mass index, luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol, and growth velocity were measured every 3 months. Bone age and predicted height were assessed every 6 months.
Results: LH range changed from 0.5-1.4 IU/I to 0.1-2.8 IU/I. The average Lupron dose decreased from 0.33 +/- 0.11 to 0.26 +/- 0.08 mg/kg. Predicted adult height averaged 158.33 +/- 9.5cm at the start of the study and increased to 161.45 +/- 6.26 cm (p <0.01). LH and estradiol did not correlate with the rate of bone maturation, growth velocity, predicted height, or with leuprolide dose.
Conclusion: Variable dosing of leuprolide acetate is needed to achieve similar amounts of hormonal suppression, yet small changes in dose did not significantly change LH or estradiol levels or predicted height.