The purpose of this study is to determine whether sleep-wake changes of luteinizing hormone pulse frequency are different in early pubertal girls with high testosterone levels compared to early pubertal girls with normal testosterone levels.
During early puberty, luteinizing hormone (LH) pulse frequency normally increases during sleep. In contrast, preliminary data suggest that obese girls (who have high testosterone levels in general) demonstrate low LH frequency during the day and night during early puberty; but at mid puberty rapidly transition to a high LH frequency during the day and night. We hypothesize that in early pubertal girls with high testosterone levels, overnight increases of LH frequency are less prominent than those observed in early pubertal girls with normal testosterone levels. We will assess this using a frequent sampling protocol for assessment of LH pulse frequency (with sampling occurring while awake and while asleep) in early pubertal girls with and without high testosterone levels. Sleep will be formally evaluated.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
90
Blood sampling for later hormone measurements
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia, United States
Luteinizing hormone pulse frequency (while awake and while asleep)
Time frame: Baseline (time zero)
Progesterone concentration
Time frame: Baseline (time zero)
Estradiol concentration
Time frame: Baseline (time zero)
Testosterone concentrations
Time frame: Baseline (time zero)
Luteinizing hormone amplitude
Time frame: Baseline (time zero)
Sleep stage parameters
Time frame: Baseline (time zero)
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