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Obesity linked with reduced LH amplitude, elevated LH frequency in later puberty
Elevated LH frequency may reflect effects of hyperandrogenemia.
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Later in puberty, obese girls had reduced luteinizing hormone amplitude, but elevated luteinizing hormone frequency, according to study results recently published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Researchers conducted a study to evaluate LH pulse characteristics in girls with obesity throughout pubertal maturation. Participants included nonobese (n=8) and obese (n=5) girls in Tanner stages 1 to 2, and nonobese (n=32) and obese (n=12) girls in Tanner stages 3 to 5.
“Peripubertal obesity in girls is associated with hyperandrogenemia. LH likely contributes to this relationship, but overnight LH secretion in obese girls is poorly characterized,” the researchers wrote.
They obtained measurements for LH frequency, amplitude and mean LH in three four-hour time blocks: 1900-2300 hours, 2300-0300 hours, and 0300-0700 hours.
LH frequency in early puberty
In nonobese girls in Tanner stages 1 to 2, LH frequency increased about 5.9-fold from time block one to two (P=.0078), but in time block three, LH frequency decreased to measurements similar to those in time block one (P=.0625).
Researchers observed a lower 12-hour LH frequency and LH amplitude in obese girls in Tanner stages 1 to 2 (P<.05 for both) but observed no overnight changes of LH pulse parameters. LH frequency during 12 hours was 65% lower in obese girls in Tanner stages 1 to 2 vs. nonobese girls in Tanner stages 1 to 2 (P=.0241).
The mean LH amplitude during 12 hours was 75% lower in obese girls in Tanner stages 1 to 2 vs. nonobese girls (P=.0435), according to the researchers.
LH frequency and amplitude in later puberty
For nonobese girls in Tanner stages 3 to 5, LH pulse frequency decreased by 23% from time block one to two and by 33% from time block one to three (P<.0001 for both). When compared with nonobese girls, LH frequency was elevated in obese girls in Tanner stages 3 to 5 for all time blocks (P<.01) and LH amplitude was low for all time blocks (P<.05).
LH amplitude increased overnight in nonobese girls in Tanner stages 3 to 5 (P<.0001) but not in obese girls in Tanner stages 3 to 5, according to the researchers.
In obese girls in Tanner stages 3 to 5, LH amplitude was lower than normal in time block one (P=.0165), time block two (P=.0046) and time block three (P=.0005).
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009;94:56-66.