PDF(Pubmed)
Abstract：
The postnatal activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis is usually known as “minipuberty”. There are still open questions about its biological function and significance depending on sex, gestational age (GA) and birth weight (BW) with few available longitudinal data.
A single-centre, longitudinal study to quantify urinary follicle stimulating hormone (uFSH), luteinizing hormone (uLH) and testosterone (uTs) in male neonates. Neonates were enrolled and stratified into three subgroups: full-term boys appropriate for GA (FT AGA); FT boys with BW ≤3rd centile [FT small for gestational age (SGA)]; and preterm (PT) boys ≤33 weeks of GA. Urinary hormones were correlated to simultaneous auxological parameters, linear growth and external genitalia at scheduled time-points.
Forty-six boys were recruited, with subgroup sizes FT AGA n=23, FT SGA n=11 and PT n=12. PT boys display a pulsatile pattern of urinary gonadotropins (uGns) with higher levels of uLH and a gradual increase of uTs. Testicular descent started from 29-32 weeks with the peak of uTs. During the first 12-months post-term age (PTA), FT AGA boys displayed a better linear growth (p<0.05). PT showed higher uGns levels until 3-months PTA. PT babies had higher uLH levels than FT AGA, with a peak at 7 and 30 days, during the first 90 days of life (p<0.001) and higher uTs levels. Correlation analysis between penile growth of all neonates and uTs was significant (p=0.04) but not within subgroups.
This study investigated postnatal HPG axis activation in term and PT infants. Minipuberty may involve an early window of opportunity to evaluate the functionality of the HPG axis. Further studies with a long-term follow-up are needed with a special focus on possible consequences of GA and BW.
A single-centre, longitudinal study to quantify urinary follicle stimulating hormone (uFSH), luteinizing hormone (uLH) and testosterone (uTs) in male neonates. Neonates were enrolled and stratified into three subgroups: full-term boys appropriate for GA (FT AGA); FT boys with BW ≤3rd centile [FT small for gestational age (SGA)]; and preterm (PT) boys ≤33 weeks of GA. Urinary hormones were correlated to simultaneous auxological parameters, linear growth and external genitalia at scheduled time-points.
Forty-six boys were recruited, with subgroup sizes FT AGA n=23, FT SGA n=11 and PT n=12. PT boys display a pulsatile pattern of urinary gonadotropins (uGns) with higher levels of uLH and a gradual increase of uTs. Testicular descent started from 29-32 weeks with the peak of uTs. During the first 12-months post-term age (PTA), FT AGA boys displayed a better linear growth (p<0.05). PT showed higher uGns levels until 3-months PTA. PT babies had higher uLH levels than FT AGA, with a peak at 7 and 30 days, during the first 90 days of life (p<0.001) and higher uTs levels. Correlation analysis between penile growth of all neonates and uTs was significant (p=0.04) but not within subgroups.
This study investigated postnatal HPG axis activation in term and PT infants. Minipuberty may involve an early window of opportunity to evaluate the functionality of the HPG axis. Further studies with a long-term follow-up are needed with a special focus on possible consequences of GA and BW.
摘要：
■出生后下丘脑-垂体-性腺（HPG）轴的激活通常被称为“小青春期”。关于它的生物活性和取决于性别的意义仍然存在悬而未决的问题，胎龄（GA）和出生体重（BW），纵向数据很少。
■量化尿FSH（uFSH）的单中心纵向研究，男性新生儿的LH（uLH）和睾酮（uTs）。46例新生儿被纳入并分为3个亚组：23例足月男孩适合GA（FTAGA），11名BW≤第3百分位（FTSGA）的足月男孩，12名早产（PT）男孩≤GA33周。用电化学发光免疫分析法测量尿激素，并与同时的营养参数相关。在预定的时间点线性生长和外生殖器。
■PT男孩显示尿促性腺激素（uGns）的脉动模式，uLH水平较高，uTs逐渐增加。睾丸下降从29-32周开始，uTs达到峰值。在最初的12个月后年龄（PTA），FTAGA男孩表现出更好的线性增长（p<0.05）。PT显示更高的uGns水平直到3个月PTA。考虑到实际年龄，在生命的前90天，PT婴儿的uLH水平高于FTAGA，在7天和30天达到峰值（p<0.001），uTs水平更高。所有新生儿的阴茎生长与uTs之间的相关性分析显着（p=0.04），但在分组时则没有。
■这项研究提供了有关足月和早产儿出生后HPG轴激活的有价值的信息。小青春期可能涉及评估HPG轴功能的早期机会窗口。需要进行长期随访的进一步研究，特别关注GA和BW的可能后果。
■量化尿FSH（uFSH）的单中心纵向研究，男性新生儿的LH（uLH）和睾酮（uTs）。46例新生儿被纳入并分为3个亚组：23例足月男孩适合GA（FTAGA），11名BW≤第3百分位（FTSGA）的足月男孩，12名早产（PT）男孩≤GA33周。用电化学发光免疫分析法测量尿激素，并与同时的营养参数相关。在预定的时间点线性生长和外生殖器。
■PT男孩显示尿促性腺激素（uGns）的脉动模式，uLH水平较高，uTs逐渐增加。睾丸下降从29-32周开始，uTs达到峰值。在最初的12个月后年龄（PTA），FTAGA男孩表现出更好的线性增长（p<0.05）。PT显示更高的uGns水平直到3个月PTA。考虑到实际年龄，在生命的前90天，PT婴儿的uLH水平高于FTAGA，在7天和30天达到峰值（p<0.001），uTs水平更高。所有新生儿的阴茎生长与uTs之间的相关性分析显着（p=0.04），但在分组时则没有。
■这项研究提供了有关足月和早产儿出生后HPG轴激活的有价值的信息。小青春期可能涉及评估HPG轴功能的早期机会窗口。需要进行长期随访的进一步研究，特别关注GA和BW的可能后果。
