Abstract：
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of different gonadotropin assays for determining total and intact luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) immunoreactivity in urine (U-LH-ir and U-FSH-ir, respectively) during early infancy.
METHODS: Morning urine samples were obtained from 31 infants, aged between 0 and 6 months, to study the age-related course of urinary gonadotropins. Additionally, we investigated bi-hourly urine samples of a 5-day-old male neonate for 24 h to observe the course of urinary gonadotropins during a daily cycle. We employed different immunofluorometric assays for measuring total and intact U-LH-ir, and U-FSH-ir.
RESULTS: In neonates up to 21 days of age, the U-LH-ir levels measured by the regular LH assay (also detecting hCG) were significantly higher than those determined by the total (specific) LH assays (p = .004). U-FSH-ir was higher in girls than boys during both the first and the next 5 months (p = .02 and p < .001, respectively), whereas total U-LH-ir was higher in boys until 6 months of age (p < .001). Total U-LH-ir/U-FSH-ir ratio was significantly higher in boys than girls across the first half-year (p < .001).
CONCLUSIONS: The assessment of total U-LH-ir and U-FSH-ir, and their respective ratio constitutes a noninvasive, practical and scalable tool to investigate sex-specific changes during early infancy, with the ratio being significantly higher in boys than girls. Only highly specific LH assays detecting beta-subunit and its core fragment in addition to intact LH should be used for determining U-LH-ir in the neonatal period to avoid potential cross-reactivity with hCG of placental origin.
METHODS: Morning urine samples were obtained from 31 infants, aged between 0 and 6 months, to study the age-related course of urinary gonadotropins. Additionally, we investigated bi-hourly urine samples of a 5-day-old male neonate for 24 h to observe the course of urinary gonadotropins during a daily cycle. We employed different immunofluorometric assays for measuring total and intact U-LH-ir, and U-FSH-ir.
RESULTS: In neonates up to 21 days of age, the U-LH-ir levels measured by the regular LH assay (also detecting hCG) were significantly higher than those determined by the total (specific) LH assays (p = .004). U-FSH-ir was higher in girls than boys during both the first and the next 5 months (p = .02 and p < .001, respectively), whereas total U-LH-ir was higher in boys until 6 months of age (p < .001). Total U-LH-ir/U-FSH-ir ratio was significantly higher in boys than girls across the first half-year (p < .001).
CONCLUSIONS: The assessment of total U-LH-ir and U-FSH-ir, and their respective ratio constitutes a noninvasive, practical and scalable tool to investigate sex-specific changes during early infancy, with the ratio being significantly higher in boys than girls. Only highly specific LH assays detecting beta-subunit and its core fragment in addition to intact LH should be used for determining U-LH-ir in the neonatal period to avoid potential cross-reactivity with hCG of placental origin.
摘要：
目的：本研究的目的是研究不同促性腺激素测定法测定总的和完整的黄体生成素（LH）的可行性，和尿液中的卵泡刺激素（FSH）免疫反应性（U-LH-ir和U-FSH-ir，分别)在婴儿期早期。
方法：从31名婴儿中获取早晨尿液样本，年龄在0至6个月之间，研究泌尿促性腺激素的年龄相关过程。此外,我们调查了一名5天大的男性新生儿24小时的双小时尿液样本，以观察每日周期中尿液促性腺激素的病程。我们采用不同的免疫荧光测定法来测量总的和完整的U-LH-ir，还有U-FSH-ir.
结果：在21日龄的新生儿中，常规LH测定(也检测hCG)测得的U-LH-ir水平显著高于总(特异性)LH测定(p=.004).在第一个和接下来的5个月中，女孩的U-FSH-ir均高于男孩（分别为p=.02和p<.001），而总U-LH-ir在6个月大之前男孩较高（p<.001）。在上半年，男孩的总U-LH-ir/U-FSH-ir比率明显高于女孩（p<.001）。
结论：总U-LH-ir和U-FSH-ir的评估，它们各自的比例构成了一种非侵入性的，实用和可扩展的工具来调查婴儿早期的性别特异性变化，男孩的比例明显高于女孩。除了完整的LH外，仅检测β亚基及其核心片段的高度特异性LH测定法应用于在新生儿期确定U-LH-ir，以避免与胎盘来源的hCG的潜在交叉反应性。
方法：从31名婴儿中获取早晨尿液样本，年龄在0至6个月之间，研究泌尿促性腺激素的年龄相关过程。此外,我们调查了一名5天大的男性新生儿24小时的双小时尿液样本，以观察每日周期中尿液促性腺激素的病程。我们采用不同的免疫荧光测定法来测量总的和完整的U-LH-ir，还有U-FSH-ir.
结果：在21日龄的新生儿中，常规LH测定(也检测hCG)测得的U-LH-ir水平显著高于总(特异性)LH测定(p=.004).在第一个和接下来的5个月中，女孩的U-FSH-ir均高于男孩（分别为p=.02和p<.001），而总U-LH-ir在6个月大之前男孩较高（p<.001）。在上半年，男孩的总U-LH-ir/U-FSH-ir比率明显高于女孩（p<.001）。
结论：总U-LH-ir和U-FSH-ir的评估，它们各自的比例构成了一种非侵入性的，实用和可扩展的工具来调查婴儿早期的性别特异性变化，男孩的比例明显高于女孩。除了完整的LH外，仅检测β亚基及其核心片段的高度特异性LH测定法应用于在新生儿期确定U-LH-ir，以避免与胎盘来源的hCG的潜在交叉反应性。
