Treatment of Boys With Precocious Puberty

Completed · Phase 2

Conditions studied: Precocious Puberty

In brief

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).

Key facts

Study ID

NCT00001202

Run by

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

People needed

80

Starts

1985-01-01

Expected to finish

2004-01-01

Last updated by the study team

2008-03-04

Who can join

Age: any. Sex: male. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Patients with familial male precocious puberty will be admitted to the Clinical Center.
• In order to be eligible for the study, the following criteria will be met:
• Boys 10 years of age or less.
• Tanner II to IV pubertal development.
• Unfused epiphyses by bone films.
• Evidence that precocious puberty is not secondary to another recognized cause of pseudopuberty:
• We will exclude congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and document pretreatment androgen levels, by a 1-hour ACTH test, which will include measurement of 11-deoxycortisol and 17-OH-progesterone at 0 and 60 minutes.
• We will exclude tumor of adrenal or testes by physical exam, ultrasound, and measurement of adrenal androgens (DHA, DHAS, androstenedione).
• Elevated testosterone levels measured at 10 am, 2pm, 10 pm and 2 am over a 24 hour period.

Where it is running

• National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) — Bethesda, Maryland, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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