Treatment of Boys With Precocious Puberty

Summary

This study is a continuation of two previous studies conducted at the NIH. The first study , "Treatment of True Precocious Puberty with a Long-Acting Lutenizing Hormone Releasing Hormone Analog (D-Trp(6)-Pro(9)-Net-LHRH)" had less than optimal results. Some patients, all of whom were diagnosed with familial isosexual precocious puberty, had an inadequate response to the medication and were observed to have high levels of testosterone, advanced bone aging, and other complications of the disease. As a result these patients were enrolled in a second study In the second study, "Spironolactone Treatment for Boys with Familial Isosexual Precocious Puberty", - the patients received another medication, spironolactone (Aldactone). The drug blocked the effects of testosterone, -but bone age advancement did not improve. Some patients began experiencing gynecomastia (an abnormal growth of the male breasts). Researchers believe these may be the effects of elevated levels of estrodiol (a form of the female hormone, estrogen). In the present study, testolactone is added to the drug regimen to block the production of estrogen. The study therefore uses spironolactone to prevent the action of the male hormones (androgen) and testolactone to block the production of female hormones (estrogen). Deslorelin, an LHRH analog which works by turning off true (central) puberty, is added to the drug regimen once true puberty begins. This is because it is know that boys with familial male precocious puberty go into true puberty too early (despite treatment with spironolactone and testolactone), and when that happens, the spironolactone and testolactone are no longer as effective. The goal of the treatment is to delay sexual development until a more appropriate age and prevent short adult stature (height).

Timeline

Start

1985-01

Primary completion

—

Completion

2004-01

Publications

• Background Laue L, Kenigsberg D, Pescovitz OH, Hench KD, Barnes KM, Loriaux DL, Cutler GB Jr. Treatment of familial male precocious puberty with spironolactone and testolactone. N Engl J Med. 1989 Feb 23;320(8):496-502. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198902233200805.
• Background Laue L, Jones J, Barnes KM, Cutler GB Jr. Treatment of familial male precocious puberty with spironolactone, testolactone, and deslorelin. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1993 Jan;76(1):151-5. doi: 10.1210/jcem.76.1.8421081.
• Background Shenker A, Laue L, Kosugi S, Merendino JJ Jr, Minegishi T, Cutler GB Jr. A constitutively activating mutation of the luteinizing hormone receptor in familial male precocious puberty. Nature. 1993 Oct 14;365(6447):652-4. doi: 10.1038/365652a0.

Drugs

Indications