Clinical efficacy of leprerelin acetate with different dosage forms in central precocious puberty girls

Objective:To observe the clinical efficacy of different dosage forms of lepraline acetate(LA)in the treatment of girls with central precocious puberty(CPP).Methods:72 CPP girls treated in the Department of Pediatrics of Huai'an First People's Hospital from February 2021 to August 2022 were included as subjects and divided into two groups:3-month LA group(n=34)and 1-month LA group(n=38).Both group girls were treated for 6 months.Serum hormone levels,body mass index(BMI),bone age/chronological age(BA/CA)and pelvic color ultrasound were detected at 0 and 6 months after treatment,and the changes of various indexes were compared before and after treatment.Results:1)There were no significant differences in baseline data between the two groups before treatment(P>0.05).2)After 6 months of treatment,BA/CA decreased,growth rate slowed down,and predicted adult height increased in both groups(P<0.05),but there were no significant differences between groups(P>0.05).3)After 6 months of treatment,there waere no significant differences in luteinizing hormone(LH)inhibition ratio between the 3 month and 1 month dosage groups(P>0.05).After treatment,the peak value of serum LH and FSH,estradiol level,uterine volume,bilateral ovarian volume,maximum follicle diameter and the number of follicles 4mm were significantly decreased in the two groups,but there were no significant differences between the two groups(P>0.05).4)There were no significant differences in the levels of thyroid hormone,fasting blood glucose and triglyceride between the two groups before and after treatment(P>0.05).Total cholesterol levels were increased after treatment(P<0.05),but there was no significant difference between groups(P>0.05).5)No serious adverse reactions occurred during the treatment of the two dosage forms of LA,but the 3-month dosage form of LA reduced the treatment cost and improved the treatment compliance.Conclusion:The short-term efficacy of 3-month LA in the treatment of CPP in girls is similar to that of 1-month LA.The 3-month dosage form LA is a safe,effective,and economical method for the treatment of CPP in girls.

Pandemic and precocious puberty-a Google trends study

BACKGROUND Recent publications from several countries have reported that more young people(mainly girls)are experiencing precocious puberty(PP)/menarche during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic compared to the past.This variation is attributed to the stress of confinement,lack of exercise,obesity and disturbed sleep patterns.A common feature of the relevant papers,however,is the small number of reported cases of PP.Studies have shown that searches for diseases on the internet also reflect to some extent the epidemiology of these diseases.AIM To estimate,through internet searches for PP,any changes in the epidemiology of PP.METHODS We assessed in Google Trends searches for 21 PP-related terms in English internationally(which practically dwarf searches in other languages),in the years 2017-2021.Additionally,we assessed local searches for selected terms,in English and local languages,in countries where a rise in PP has been reported.Searches were collected in Relative Search Volumes format and analyzed using Kendall’s Tau test,with a statistical significance threshold of P<0.05.RESULTS Internationally,searches for three PP-related terms showed no noticeable change over the study period,while searches for eight terms showed a decrease.An increase was found over time in searches for nine PP-related terms.Of the 17 searches in English and local languages,in countries where a rise in PP has been reported,5 showed a significant increase over time.CONCLUSION Over the study period,more than half of the search terms showed little change or declined.The discrepancy between internet searches for PP and the reported increase in the literature is striking.It would be expected that a true increase in the incidence of PP would also be aptly reflected in Google trends.If our findings are valid,the literature may have been biased.The known secular trend of decreasing age of puberty may also have played a role.

Treatment of central precocious puberty by GnRH analogs： long-term outcome in men

In boys, central precocious puberty （CPP） is the appearance of secondary sex characteristics driven by pituitary gonadotropin secretion before the age of 9 years. In the last years, relevant improvements in the treatment of CPP have been achieved. Because CPP is rare in boys, the majority of papers on this issue focus on girls and do not address specific features of male patients regarding end results and safety. In the present paper, recent advances of CPP management with GnRH analogs in men are summarized. End results in untreated and treated patients are also reviewed by an analysis of the recently published literature on treatment of CPP in men. The available data indicate that therapy with GnRH analogs can improve final height into the range of target height without significant adverse short-term and long-term effects, but longer follow-up of larger series of patients is still required to draw definitive conclusions.

Efficacy of Subcutaneous Administration of Gonadotropin-releasing Hormone Agonist on Idiopathic Central Precocious Puberty

In order to assess the feasibility of subcutaneous administration of Triptorelin with 6-week intervals for the suppression of pituitary-gonadal axis and changes of clinical signs in girls with idiopathic central precocious puberty （ICPP）, 46 girls with ICPP were treated with GnRHa. Triptorelin （Decapeptyl, 3.75 mg） was administered subcutaneously （SC） at 6-weeks intervals or intramuscularly （IM） at 4-weeks intervals randomly for more than 12 months consecutively. During GnRHa therapy, clinical parameters and laboratory data, including height, weight, pubertal stage, bone age, uterine volume and ovarian size, serum levels of luteinizing hormone （LH）, follicle stimulating hormone （FSH） and estradiol （E2）, were monitored and analyzed. It was found that both treatment regimes led to regression of precocious puberty and reversal of secondary sexual characteristics. Breast developments regressed. Uterine volume was decreased after treatment, but there was no statistically significant difference. Mean ovarian volume did not change significantly during treatment. The height velocity was decreased significandy from 6.3±1.4 cm/year to 5.8：1：1.2 cm/year in group SC and 6.7±1.3 cm/year to 5.4±1.0 cm/year in group IM, respectively. The rate of bone maturation was reduced significantly during treatment. The ratio of deltaBAgdeltaCA was 1.2±0.2 or 1.3±0.3 at the onset of therapy and decreased significantly after the treatment to 0.7±0.2 or 0.9±0.1, respectively. The predicted adult height was increased significantly and progressively during therapy. The levels of serum LH, FSH and E2 returned to the prepubertal condition. No significant side effects of therapy were noted. The most common side effect during SC treatment was that a non-irritating, 1 cm in di- ameter mass was palpated at the site of subcutaneous injection in the abdominal wall of patients, which disappeared after 6- 12 weeks. Two girls had minimal withdrawal vaginal bleeding episodes after the first injection. It was concluded that both IM and SC triptorelin administrations were clinically effective. They induce profound suppression of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis while stabilizing height velocity, slowing bone maturation and increasing predicted adult height. These results suggest that subcutaneous injection of triptorelin in 6-weeks intervals at a dosage of 3.75 mg be a safe and acceptable regimen for ICPP.

Precocious Puberty in a 5-Year-Old Girl with a Giant Hypothalamic Hamartoma Discovered Perinatally: Case Report

Background: Hypothalamic hamartoma is a rare non-neoplastic lesion, typically identified in early childhood during investigations for precocious puberty and/or gelastic seizures. However, cases of diagnosis even earlier or during fetal development have been documented. Case Presentation: A newborn girl was diagnosed with hydrocephalus during pregnancy. An MRI revealed a large oval hypothalamic process, which suggested a hypothalamic hamartoma. At the age of 2, she experienced alternating crying and laughing seizures, followed by a decrease in visual acuity. Due to involvement of the optic pathways, surgery was not performed and she underwent antiepileptic medicines and gamma knife radiotherapy. At the age of 5 years and 3 months, she presented with breast development and laboratory tests confirmed central precocious puberty. Quarterly injections of GnRH agonists have since been administered with favorable results. Conclusion: Early-diagnosed hypothalamic hamartomas require close monitoring, by an experienced multidisciplinary, to promptly detect and treat potential complications, especially precocious puberty, and prevent any undesirable impact on final height.

Rare mutation in MKRN3 in two twin sisters with central precocious puberty: Two case reports

BACKGROUND Caused by premature activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis,there is increasing incidence of central precocious puberty(CPP),especially in girls.Makorin ring finger protein 3(MKRN3),a maternal imprinted gene with a highly conserved sequence,is the most common genetic etiology associated with CPP.Approximately 50 different mutations in MKRN3 have been found in CPP.CASE SUMMARY This case report involves identical twin sisters presenting with premature thelarche at the age of 6 years.The left hand bone age of both patients revealed advanced age(9 years).Pelvic B ultrasound indicated enlargement of the ovaries.Luteinizing hormone(LH)releasing hormone testing confirmed CPP.Wholeexome sequencing detected the c.841C>T mutation in MKRN3,leading to a single base substitution,in the twins.This mutation was inherited from the father and paternal grandmother.After 3 mo of treatment with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog,levels of LH,follicle-stimulating hormone,and estradiol in the proband’s sister returned to normal levels.CONCLUSION Here,we report a rare mutation(c.841C>T)in MKRN3 in identical twin sisters with CPP.

Expression and significance of netrin-1 and its receptor UNC5C in precocious puberty female rat hypothalamus

Objective:To study expressions of netrin-1 and its receptor UNC5 C in female precocious puberty rat hypothalamus,and explore its effect on precocious puberty process.Methods:Forty female one-week-old SD rats were randomly divided into four groups:experimental group A(precocious puberty early youth),experimental group B(precocious puberty medium youth),group A(normal pre-puberty).group B(normal early youth) with 10 rats in each group.Precocious puberty experimental rats were induced with Danazol and rals in control group were injected with saline.Uterus and ovaries were removed,specimens were weighed,litems index and ovarian index were calculated,and amount of luteinizing hormone(LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH) were detected from the blood by ELISA.Real-time PCR was used to delect netrin-1 and its receptor UNC5 C.as well as hypothalamic gonadolropinreleasing hormone(GnRH) mRNA expression in hypothalamus tissues:and then,a coimmunoprecipitation study of interactions between netrin-1 and its receptor UNC5 C was carried out.Results:Relative target gene expression levels of control group A,control group B.experimental group A,and experimental group B(with,3-actin as an internal control for normalization) were as follows:Netrin-1:3.5±0.9,5.4±0.7.4.9±1.0.5.3±0.3:UNC5C:0.8±0.04.1.7±0.2.1.82±0.23.1.58±0.4:GnRH:1.2±0.3.2.7±0.3.2.4±0.7.3.2±0.4.Conclusions:LH and FSH concentrations,netrin-1 and its receptor expression are increased in precocious puberty animal models.

Investigation of the Cause of Precocious Puberty in an 8-Year-Old Girl Ended up in Juvenile Granulosa and Theca Cell Tumor of the Ovary

Isosexual precocious puberty in girls has several etiologies. Juvenile granulose cell tumor is one of the rarest causes that only stands for 1.5% of ovarian cancers. This tumor mostly encounters in first 2 decades of life. This paper is a report of an 8-year-old girl with precocious puberty that within five months developed breast enlargement followed by menarche. Works which are done to find the underlying cause of precocious puberty revealed juvenile granulosa cell tumor in her left ovary. She then under went laparoscopic surgery and 3 courses of chemotherapy. She did not experience any vaginal bleeding after that and the serum level of estradiol lay among its normal ranges, but after that the tumor relapsed and presented as abdominal pain and a huge mass which under went resection of all afflicted tissues. After 2 courses of chemotherapy, her status deteriorated and unfortunately she died after 6 months from the time of diagnosis. Treatment for this disease is consists of resection surgery and chemotherapy. If this tumor is diagnosed in its early stages, it will be curable, but in its advanced stages, up to 80% of patients die from recurrent tumors. The reported patient was diagnosed at stage IIIC that had poor prognosis.

A Rare Cause of Precocious Puberty and Massive Ovarian Cysts Associated with Hypothyroidism

Van Wyk-Grumbach syndrome (VWGS) is characterized by juvenile hypothyroidism, delayed bone age, isosexual precocious puberty and massive ovarian cysts. We report such a case in a 7-year-old girl who presented with a bilateral pelvic pain, abdominal distension and signs of hypothyroidism. Physical examination showed a breast development and lack of pubic and axillary hair. There was no clitoromegaly. Pelvic ultrasonography and CT scan showed enlarged bilateral multiloculared multicystics ovarian masses. The pituitary MRI was recommended before an elevated prolactin, revealed a large sellar and suprasellar mass. The patient was started on thyroid replacement using L-Thyroxine. Clinically, the patient’s fatigue, pelvic pain, and abdominal distension are resolved. During the follow-up, her thyroid functions and serum prolactin normalized within 8 months. Ultrasonography revealed regression of ovarian cysts in 2 months measuring, with normal sized ovaries in 14 months.

Effects of Nourishing “Yin”-Removing “Fire” Chinese Herb Mixture on the Differential Expression of GABA_AReceptor <i>α</i>Subunits in Hypothalamus of Precocious Puberty Female Rats

GABAergic input to Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons is necessary to initiate the onset of puberty and its action mainly depends on GABAA receptor of which the subunit composition, properties and consequently function varies during this period. Nourishing “Yin”-Removing “Fire” Chinese herb mixture, a Chinese herb-based formulation, has been proved that it may retard the initiation of pubertal development in female precocious puberty rats. Our objective is to investigate the effects of Nourishing “Yin”-Removing “Fire” Chinese herb mixture on the expression of GABAA receptor α subunits in hypothalamus. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into normal (N), precocious puberty model (M) induced by danazol, model exposed to saline (MS) and model exposed to Chinese herb mixture (CHM) groups. All rats were administered by the Chinese herb mixture from P15 on. Coefficients of reproductive organs and serum gonadotropins and estradiol levels in M were significantly enhanced while they were significantly decreased in CHM. The hypothalamic GnRH mRNA was also significantly increased in M and in CHM, as well as ERα mRNA. At the mean time, the hypothalamic GABAA receptor α1 and α3 subunits mRNA were more significantly decreased in M than those of N, while they were more significantly enhanced in CHM than those in M (p 0.01), the protein expression of which in hypothalamus had the same trend as the mRNA expression. The evidence suggests that Nourishing “Yin”-Removing “Fire” Chinese herb mixture could significantly retard the sexual development of the precocious rats, and up-regulate the expressions of hypothalamic GABAA receptor α1 and α3 subunits. Our result indicated that GABAA receptor α1 and α3 subunits might involve in the effective treatment of herb mixture on idiopathic precocious puberty.

Unusual Presentation of Precocious Puberty and Alopecia Universalis in Saudi Patients with Autoimmune Polyglandular Syndrome Type 1(APS1) without Any Other Manifestation of the Disease: Case Report and a Brief Review of the Literature

Autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 1 (APS-1) is one of the rare inherited disorder that affects both sexes alike. Although in specific autoimmune dysfunction associated with this syndrome found to be more common in females than males. It has specific criteria usually presented at a specific age. The object of this clinical case report is to highlight this unusual presentation of such condition which is the presence of APS-1 with precocious puberty and alopecia Universalis without any associated symptoms of APS-1 and the gene variations that never had been found before. And up to our knowledge, this is the 1st case in our population and worldwide that has such combination and this is unusual clinical presentation. Autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 1 (APS-1) is one of the rare inherited disorder that affects both sexes alike. Although in specific autoimmune dysfunction associated with this syndrome found to be more common in females than males. It has specific criteria usually presented at a specific age. The object of this clinical case report is to highlight this unusual presentation of such condition which is the presence of APS-1 with precocious puberty and alopecia Universalis without any associated symptoms of APS-1 and the gene variations that never had been found before. And up to our knowledge, this is the 1st case in our population and worldwide that has such combination and this is unusual clinical presentation.

Effects of Nourishing “Yin”-Removing “Fire” Chinese Herb Mixture on the Expression of GABAB Receptors in Hypothalamus of Precocious Puberty Female Rats

Objectives: To investigate the potential role of GABAB Receptors (GABABRs) involved in the effect of Nourishing “Yin”-Removing “Fire” Chinese herb mixture (TCM) treatment on precocious puberty. Methods: Female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: normal (N), central precocious puberty (CPP) model (M), CPP fed with normal saline (S) and CPP fed with Nourishing “Yin”-Removing “Fire” Chinese herb mixture (TCM). Rats of postnatal day 5 were given a single subcutaneous injection of 240 μg danazol to establish CPP model rats. Rats of S and TCM groups were continuously administered with saline or nourishing “Yin”-removing “Fire” Chinese herb mixture since postnatal day 15. The expression of GABABRs was detected by means of real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. Results: The expression of hypothalamic GnRH mRNA in M was significantly increased on the day of pre-puberty when compared with that of N (P < 0.01). On the day of onset-puberty, LH levels were higher in M than those in N (P < 0.01), while the serum E2 and LH levels of TCM decreased when compared with those of M (P B1 receptor (GABABR1) immunoreactive cells in the arcuate nucleus (ARN) was decreased in M when compared with that of N (P < 0.05) and increased in TCM compared with that of M (P < 0.05);simultaneously, the expression of GABABR1 mRNA in hypothalamus was significantly decreased in M when compared with that of N (P < 0.01) and increased in TCM compared with that of M (P < 0.01). On the day of onset-puberty, the number of GABABR1 immunoreactive cells in medial septum (MS) was decreased in M compared with that in N (P < 0.05) and increased in TCM comparing with that of M (P < 0.05);meanwhile, the mRNA expression of GABABR1 in hypothalamus was decreased in M compared with that in N (P B2 receptor (GABABR2) immunoreactive cells in the ARN, MS and diagnonal band of broca (DBB) were decreased in M when compared with those of N (P < 0.05) and increased in TCM compared with those of M (P < 0.05) on the day of onset-puberty. At the same time, the mRNA expression of GABABR2 was significantly decreased in M compared with that of N (P < 0.01). Conclusions: These results indicated that the GABABRs might involve in the curative effect of Nourishing “Yin”-Removing “Fire” Chinese herbal mixture on CPP rats.

Typology and Etiology of Precocious Puberty in Sub-Saharan Africa:Report of 8 Cases in Abidjan,Ivory Coast

Introduction: Early puberty is defined by development of secondary sexual characteristics before the age of 8 years in girls and 9 years in boys. In the West, one in five children out of 100,000 is concerned. Little information on sub-Saharan African patients exists concerning this pathology. Objective: To determine the etiology and clinical characteristics of early puberty in a cohort of Ivorian children. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study between 2015 and 2017 in children admitted to early puberty in the unique Endocrinology Service of the country. The epidemiology and clinical characteristics were assessed. Results: The eight patients involved were all females. Their mean age at diagnosis was 7 years and 3 months and the mean age of first symptoms begun at 5 years and 6 months. Seven patients had a central precocious puberty (CPP) including five cases of idiopathic CPP (ICPP) treated by (GnRH agonist) and two cases with secondary precocious puberty (SPP). One of them has a hypothalamic hamartoma and the other a sequelae of encephalopathy. The last case had a peripheral precocious puberty (PPP) causes by ovarian dystrophy. Conclusion: Our results confirm the predominance of idiopathic central precocious puberty particularly in girls.

Comparison of methods for deriving phenotypes from incomplete observation data with an application to age at puberty in dairy cattle

Background Many phenotypes in animal breeding are derived from incomplete measures,especially if they are challenging or expensive to measure precisely.Examples include time-dependent traits such as reproductive status,or lifespan.Incomplete measures for these traits result in phenotypes that are subject to left-,interval-and rightcensoring,where phenotypes are only known to fall below an upper bound,between a lower and upper bound,or above a lower bound respectively.Here we compare three methods for deriving phenotypes from incomplete data using age at first elevation(>1 ng/mL)in blood plasma progesterone(AGEP4),which generally coincides with onset of puberty,as an example trait.Methods We produced AGEP4 phenotypes from three blood samples collected at about 30-day intervals from approximately 5,000 Holstein–Friesian or Holstein–Friesian×Jersey cross-bred dairy heifers managed in 54 seasonal-calving,pasture-based herds in New Zealand.We used these actual data to simulate 7 different visit scenarios,increasing the extent of censoring by disregarding data from one or two of the three visits.Three methods for deriving phenotypes from these data were explored:1)ordinal categorical variables which were analysed using categorical threshold analysis;2)continuous variables,with a penalty of 31 d assigned to right-censored phenotypes;and 3)continuous variables,sampled from within a lower and upper bound using a data augmentation approach.Results Credibility intervals for heritability estimations overlapped across all methods and visit scenarios,but estimated heritabilities tended to be higher when left censoring was reduced.For sires with at least 5 daughters,the correlations between estimated breeding values(EBVs)from our three-visit scenario and each reduced data scenario varied by method,ranging from 0.65 to 0.95.The estimated breed effects also varied by method,but breed differences were smaller as phenotype censoring increased.Conclusion Our results indicate that using some methods,phenotypes derived from one observation per offspring for a time-dependent trait such as AGEP4 may provide comparable sire rankings to three observations per offspring.This has implications for the design of large-scale phenotyping initiatives where animal breeders aim to estimate variance parameters and estimated breeding values(EBVs)for phenotypes that are challenging to measure or prohibitively expensive.

Precocious puberty: Pathology, related risks, and support strategies

Children are currently starting pubertal development much earlier than 20 to 30 years ago. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) conducted from 1988-1994 revealed that the median age for breast development in white girls was approximately 9.7 years and 8 years in African-American girls versus 10.9 years ago. More recent data, however, indicate that some children are starting pubertal development even earlier (age 7 or 8 in girls or age 9 in boys). Very early pubertal development is identified as precocious puberty, a phenomenon that brings great concern to others besides parents: the child, their peers, school nurses, teachers and counselors. This paper discusses precocious pubertal development, possible causes or relationships, related risks, treatment and helping strategies.

Efficacy and Safety of Domestic Leuprorelin in Girls with Idiopathic Central Precocious Puberty： A Multicenter,Randomized, Parallel, Controlled Trial

Background：In central precocious puberty （CPP）,the pulse secretion and release ofgonadotropin-releasing hormone （GnRH） are increased due to early activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis,resulting in developmental abnormalities with gonadal development and appearance of secondary sexual characteristics.The CPP without organic disease is known as idiopathic CPP （ICPP）.The objective of the study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of domestic leuprorelin （GnRH analog） in girls with ICPP.Methods：A total of 236 girls with ICPP diagnosed from April 2012 to January 2014 were selected and were randomized into two groups.One hundred fifty-seven girls in the test group were treated with domestic leuprorelin acetate,79 girls in the control group were treated with imported leuprorelin acetate.They all were treated and observed for 6 months.After 6-month treatment,the percentage of children with peak luteinizing hormone （LH） ≤3.3 U/L,the percentage of children with peak LH/peak follicle stimulating hormone （FSH） ratio 〈0.6,the improvements of secondary sexual characteristics,gonadal development and sex hormone levels,the change of growth rate of bone age （BA） and growth velocity,and drug adverse effects between two groups were compared.Results：After the treatment,the percentage of children with a suppressed LH response to GnRH,defined as a peak LH ≤3.3 U/L,at 6 months in test and control groups were 96.80% and 96.20%,respectively,and the percentage of children with peak LH/FSH ratio ≤0.6 at 6 months in test and control groups were 93.60% and 93.70%,respectively.The sizes of breast,uterus and ovary of children and the levels of estradiol （E2） were significantly reduced,and the growth rate of BA was also reduced.All the differences between pre-and post-treatment in each group were statistically significant （P 〈 0.05）,but the differences of the parameters between two groups were not significant （P 〉 0.05）.Conclusions：Domestic leuprorelin is effective and safe in the treatment of Chinese girls with ICPP.Its effectiveness and safety are comparable with imported leuprorelin.

Premature Puberty Revealing an Ovarian Tumor in a Five-Year-Old Girl

Background: Ovarian tumors in the girl child are sometimes revealed by the development of secondary sexual characteristics. The authors report the case of a five-year-old girl in whom the disease was revealed by early puberty. Case presentation: A five-year-old girl with an enlarged abdomen for about four months. The onset of pain and the sensation of a mass prompted the consultation. The development of secondary sexual characteristics (SSC) noted by the family had not been mentioned. The patient was classified as pubertal stage 2 according to the Tanner classification. An abdominal ultrasound and a CT scan showed a large left ovarian mass, an enlarged uterus for the patient’s age and a normal right ovary. The hormonal workup was not contributive. The treatment consisted only of a left salpingo-ovarectomy, without complementary chemotherapy. Anatomic pathological examination of the surgical specimen concluded to a juvenile tumor of the granulosa. The evolution was good with a beginning of regression of the HSC one month after the ovarectomy. Discussion: Granulosa tumors are sometimes secretory cancers, generally with a low potential for malignancy and therefore a very good prognosis. Surgery based on total adnexectomy is the first-line treatment. The large size of the tumor, the presence of ascites and capsular rupture are factors of poor prognosis, hence the importance of early diagnosis. Conclusion: Routine comprehensive physical examination should be de rigueur for abdominal masses in girls, especially in the context of various beliefs that may impede early referral to care.

Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in girls with idiopathic central precocious puberty

The relationship between vitamin D deficiency and idiopathic central precocious puberty （ICPP） has been recently documented. In this study, 280 girls diagnosed with ICPP and 188 normal puberty control girls of similar ages were enrolled and retrospectively studied. The ICPP group had significantly lower serum 25- hydroxyvitamin D （25[OH]D） levels than the control group. Furthermore, a nonlinear relationship was found between serum 25[OH]D and ICPP, and a cut-offpoint for serum 25[OH]D was found at 31.8 ng/ml for ICPP with and without adjusting the different confounding factors. Girls with serum 25[OH]D 〉~ 31.8 ng/ml had a lower odds ratio （unadjusted： OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.15 to 0.83, P 〈 0.05; height and weight adjusted： OR 0.44, 95~0 CI 0.18 to 1.08, P = 0.072; BMI adjusted： OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.16 to 0.84, P 〈 0.05）. The ICPP subjects with 25[OH]D deficiency had a higher body mass index （BMI） than the subjects from the two other subgroups. Correlation analysis showed that vitamin D level is correlated with BMI and some metabolic parameters in the ICPP group. Our study suggested that vitamin D status may be associated with ICPP risk and may have a threshold effect on ICPP.

Central precocious puberty as a prelude of gonad dysplasia

There is increasing evidence that patients with gonad dysplasia,as characterized by absent or incomplete puberty,can also exhibit central precocious puberty(CPP).Herein,we review the reported cases that manifest with both gonad dysplasia and CPP.Further,we examine the hypothesis that these patients exhibit a normal hypothalamic-pituitarygonadal axis,hypogonadism,and the presence of residual gonadal function,and that the onset of disease is related to early initiation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis.Thus,we suggest that CPP is a prelude of some partial hypogonadism.