Optimal age of sexual maturation in Egyptian children.

To establish the optimal age of sexual maturation in Egyptian children, Tanner's maturity stages were determined for a sample of children and adolescents (1550 girls, 1563 boys) ranging from 6.5 to 18.5 years. The mean age for attainment of pubic hair (stage PH2) was 10.46 (SD 1.36) years for girls and 11.86 (SD 1.45) years for boys. For axillary hair (stage A2), mean age was 11.65 (SD 1.62) years for girls and 13.55 (SD 1.52) years for boys. The mean age at menarche in girls was 12.44 years and for breast development (stage B2) was 10.71 (SD 1.30) years. Testicular volume by palpation showed that the mean age of genital stage G2 for boys was 10.56 (SD 1.40) years. The study results can aid in the assessment of sexual maturation and pubertal disorders in Egyptian adolescents.

Optimal age of sexual maturation in Egyptian children

To establish the optimal age of sexual maturation in Egyptian children, Tanner's maturity stages were determined for a sample of children and adolescents [1550 girls, 1563 boys] ranging from 6.5 to 18.5 years. The mean age for attainment of pubic hair [stage PH2] was 10.46 [SD 1.36] years for girls and 11.86 [SD 1.45] years for boys. For axillary hair [stage A2], mean age was 11.65 [SD 1.62] years for girls and 13.55 [SD 1.52] years for boys. The mean age at menarche in girls was 12.44 years and for breast development [stage B2] was 10.71 [SD 1.30] years. Testicular volume by palpation showed that the mean age of genital stage G2 for boys was 10.56 [SD 1.40] years. The study results can aid in the assessment of sexual maturation and pubertal disorders in Egyptian adolescents

Endocrine profiles in pediatric andrology. I. Thyroid-stimulating hormone response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone in normal and protein-calorie malnourished infants.

Thryotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) was intravenously administered to eight normal control infants and ten infants with kwashiorkor. Stimulation caused by TRH was measured at various time intervals. The basal total protein mean value +/- SE was 6.9 +/- 0.3 and 4.0 +/- 0.3 g/dl for the control and kwashiorkor groups, respectively. Serum total thyroxine was 7.7 +/- 0.6 and 4.8 +/- 0.8 micrograms/dl for the control and kwashiorkor groups, respectively. Serum levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) were 3.2, 13.5, 9.0, 7.4, and 8.0 microU/ml for the controls before stimulation and 20, 60, 90, and 120 min after stimulation, respectively. The corresponding values for the infants with kwashiorkor were 5.7, 13.9, 14.9, 15.2, and 15.3 microU/ml, respectively. The delayed TSH response to TRH stimulation in the infants with kwashiorkor was attributed to disturbance in the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis.

Endocrine profiles in pediatric andrology. II. Insulin-dependent diabetic adolescents.

Seventy-five diabetic male and female children and 75 matched controls were classified according to pubertal staging. Blood samples were assayed for gonadotropins and gonadal hormones. The ultimate adult height in diabetic patients was 5 cm less than that of controls. Almost all diabetic children had a retarded bone age. Levels of serum gonadotropins and gonadal hormones did not differ markedly between diabetic and healthy children. The delay in growth and maturation was not due to hormonal failure, but probably to chronic undernutrition of body cells and failure to utilize the amino acids for protein anabolism related to relative insulin deficiency.

Effect of urinary bilharzial infection on male pubertal development and endocrine functions.

One hundred seventy-five males aged 9-20 years were selected. The subjects comprised two groups; controls and patients infected with urinary bilharziasis not associated with any other parasite. Pubertal development was assessed. Serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone, and progesterone were determined by radioimmunoassay procedure. Delay in pubertal development was evident in the normal control group as indicated by higher chronological age mean values at the various stages as compared to other world norms. Urinary bilharziasis exaggerated the delay in pubertal development as compared to that in the control group. In relation to the control group, the group with urinary bilharziasis had higher levels of serum FSH and LH, which were significant only at stages III and IV. No significant difference was noted between the two groups for serum testosterone and progesterone levels, except for the high progesterone mean value at stage V in the group with urinary bilharziasis.

Endocrine profiles in pediatric andrology. III. Human chorionic gonadotropin stimulation test in cryptorchid boys.

Serum testosterone (T) concentration and urinary 17-ketosteroid (17-KS) excretion were measured under basal conditions and after stimulation with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in 36 prepubertal males (10 normal children and 26 cryptorchid patients). As a function of hCG stimulation, the increase in serum T level was evident in both groups, although the magnitude of the rise was higher in the control group than in cryptorchid boys. No significant differences in serum T or urinary 17-KS were observed between patients with unilateral and bilateral undescended testis, either before or after hCG stimulation. In spite of the wide individual variations in testicular response in all subjects, the test is valuable in assessing Leydig-cell function and in prognosis for virilization at puberty.