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Human Reproduction, Vol. 15, No. 5, 1052-1057, May 2000
© 2000 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology

Changes in serum inhibin, activin and follistatin concentrations during puberty in girls *

Carol M. Foster1,2,5, David J. Phillips3, Tammy Wyman2, Lee W. Evans4, Nigel P. Groome4 and Vasantha Padmanabhan1,2

1 Department of Pediatrics/Division of Endocrinology and 2 Reproductive Sciences Program, University of Michigan,Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, 3 Institute of Reproduction and Development, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia and 4 Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK

Serum concentrations of inhibin A, inhibin B, activin A and follistatin were determined using two-site enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) during pubertal ovarian development in 28 girls and five follicular phase women. Blood obtained every 15 to 20 min overnight was pooled for peptide determination. Serum inhibin A concentrations increased in mid puberty, exhibiting positive correlations with bone age (r = 0.527, P = 0.0016) and oestradiol concentrations (r = 0.581, P = 0.0005). Inhibin B concentrations peaked in mid puberty and declined thereafter, but remained greater than concentrations seen in prepubertal girls, and correlating positively with oestradiol (r = 0.362, P = 0.046) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) concentrations (r = 0.369, P = 0.038). Total activin A concentrations did not vary significantly across pubertal stages. Total follistatin concentrations, determined by radioimmunoassay, decreased with advancing puberty, exhibiting negative correlations with bone age (r = –0.634, P = 0.0001) and oestradiol concentration (r = –0.687, P = 0.0001). Follistatin concentrations determined by an ELISA specific for follistatin 288 were greatest in mid-pubertal girls, but concentrations in late puberty were less than those in early puberty. The free follistatin assay indicated that all circulating follistatin was activin-bound. These results suggest that significant changes in serum concentrations of FSH-regulatory peptides accompany the onset of puberty.

Key words: activin A/follistatin/girls/inhibin A and B/puberty

5 To whom correspondence should be addressed at: D1205 MPB Box 0718, Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA

* Presented at the 80th meeting of The Endocrine Society, New Orleans, Los Angeles, June 1998.


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