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Hum. Reprod. Advance Access published online on May 20, 2004
Human Reproduction, doi:10.1093/humrep/deh284
© 2004 by European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
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Received January 29, 2004
Accepted March 31, 2004

Article

Sex differences in FSH-regulatory peptides in pubertal age boys and girls and effects of sex steroid treatment

Carol M. Foster 1*, Pamela R. Olton 2, Michael S. Racine 2, David J. Phillips 3, Vasantha Padmanabhan 2

1 Department of Pediatrics/Endocrinology and the Reproductive Sciences Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; D1205 MPB Box 0718, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
2 Department of Pediatrics/Endocrinology and the Reproductive Sciences Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
3 Institute of Reproduction and Development, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3168 Australia

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: cmfoster{at}umich.edu.


  Abstract

BACKGROUND: FSH concentrations are higher in girls than in boys before puberty. We hypothesized that steroid-mediated changes in FSH-regulatory proteins underlie the sex differences in FSH secretion and pubertal timing. METHODS: FSH-regulatory proteins, LH, FSH and sex steroids were measured in five boys, 10 girls, and five girls with Turner syndrome before and during sex steroid treatment (girls, 0.05 mg/day estradiol; boys, 5 mg/day testosterone) for up to 4 weeks. Blood was obtained every 15 min from 20.00 to 08.00 h before and during sex steroid treatment. RESULTS: The mean FSH concentration was higher in girls than in boys (P = 0.0044). Activin-A concentrations were greater (P < 0.0001) and inhibin-B concentrations lower (P < 0.0001) in girls compared with boys. Steroid treatment (i) suppressed LH/FSH concentrations in all subjects; (ii) increased the mean activin-A concentration in all but the Turner girls (P = 0.001); and (iii) decreased inhibin-B concentrations in boys (P = 0.005) but not in girls. Total follistatin and follistatin 288 concentrations did not differ by sex. CONCLUSIONS: Sex steroids regulate circulating activin-A and inhibin-B concentrations in children. The lower inhibin-B and higher activin-A concentrations may explain the higher FSH and earlier onset of puberty in girls.

Key words: activin/follistatin/FSH/inhibin/puberty


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