HUMAN URINARY GONADOTROPHINS

Abstract

SUMMARY Urinary gonadotrophins were assayed in terms of the reference substance HMG20A by methods believed to measure follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) directly and interstitial cell stimulating hormone (ICSH) indirectly. In normal girls aged 10–11 and 14–15 years urinary FSH was equivalent to 26 and 14 mg HMG20A/1. Gonadotrophin from the older girls was qualitatively similar to HMG20A, but that from the younger girls contained relatively little ICSH. Relative deficiency of ICSH also occurred in some older girls with delayed puberty. Young girls with precocious isosexual development resembled older girls of the 14- to 15-year group by excreting gonadotrophins qualitatively like HMG20A but in smaller amounts. In normal boys the maximum urinary FSH was only 8·8 mg/l., p: and there was no evidence of relatively low concentrations of ICSH before normal pubertynor when it was abnormally delayed. The physiological and statistical significance of the demonstrated qualitative differences in urinary gonadotrophins is discussed.