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Sponsored by: |
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) |
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Information provided by: | Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT00392756 |
The purpose of the study is to examine how Kallmann syndrome and idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) affect reproductive hormones. These disorders are caused by a defect in Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH) secretion. GnRH is a hormone released by a small gland in the brain called the hypothalamus. When GnRH is released, it signals another gland in the brain, the pituitary, to secrete the reproductive hormones that influence testosterone levels and sperm production.
This study involves a detailed evaluation which involves an overnight stay at the hospital.
In this study, men 18 and older with IHH have a detailed evaluation which involves an overnight study at the hospital. Some men may continue on to receive treatment with pulsatile GnRH. This treatment replaces the hormone which is absent in IHH and results in normalized testosterone and typically is effective in developing fertility.
Condition |
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Hypogonadism |
Study Type: | Observational |
Study Design: | Case-Only |
Official Title: | Role of Gonadotropin Pulsations in the Reversal of Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism |
Estimated Enrollment: | 800 |
Study Start Date: | April 1989 |
Estimated Study Completion Date: | April 2011 |
Estimated Primary Completion Date: | April 2010 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure) |
The specific aims of this study are:
Despite variability in the triggers, timing, and pace of sexual maturity between species, all species utilize the final pathway of hypothalamic secretion of GnRH to initiate and maintain the reproductive axis. Thus, GnRH is required for reproductive competence in the human. The classic studies of Knobil and his colleagues in the 1970s clearly demonstrated that pulsatile release of GnRH from the hypothalamus is a prerequisite for physiologic gonadotrope function, with continuous stimulation resulting in a paradoxical decrease in gonadotrope responsiveness.
Absence, decreased frequency or decreased amplitude of pulsatile GnRH release results in the clinical syndrome of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH). Deficient GnRH secretion may occur in isolation (idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism [IHH]), in association with anosmia (Kallmann's syndrome [KS]) or as a result of a variety of structural and functional lesions of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. The phenotypic expression of GnRH deficiency in the human demonstrates considerable heterogeneity, suggesting that patients with IHH and KS may represent part of a spectrum of isolated GnRH deficiency as opposed to representing discrete diagnostic subsets.
Defining the physiology of GnRH is critical to understanding the clinical heterogeneity of isolated GnRH deficiency. This protocol will utilize the disease model of HH to increase our understanding of the physiology of GnRH secretion. Examining the baseline characteristics of patients with isolated GnRH deficiency allows the determination of the normal requirements for endogenous GnRH secretion in the human..
Recent studies have revealed an association between hyperinsulinemia and low testosterone levels in men. This finding has been demonstrated in normal physiological conditions as well as in insulin resistant states. However, the causal nature and directionality of this relationship is not yet understood. Specifically, do lower testosterone levels cause insulin resistance resulting in hyperinsulinemia or vice versa. Because insulin resistance is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease as well as type 2 diabetes, it is important to investigate this relationship for the implications it may have for prevention of and therapeutic interventions for these disorders.
Ages Eligible for Study: | 16 Years and older |
Genders Eligible for Study: | Both |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Sampling Method: | Non-Probability Sample |
Suitable male and female hypogonadotropic hypogonadal subjects. Adolescent boys and adult male individuals with a single serum sample demonstrating low testosterone in association with low or inappropriately normal gonadotropin levels.
Eligibility
Ages Eligible for Study: Adolescent boys (16-18yrs) and Adults (18 years and older) Genders Eligible for Study: Male and Female Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
Contact: Andrew Dwyer, RN, MSN | 617-726-8622 | Adwyer@partners.org |
United States, Massachusetts | |
Massachusetts General Hospital | Recruiting |
Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02114-2696 | |
Contact: Andrew Dwyer, RN, MSN 617-726-8622 Adwyer@partners.org | |
Principal Investigator: William Crowley, MD |
Principal Investigator: | William F Crowley, Jr., MD | Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School |
Responsible Party: | MGH ( William F. Crowley Jr., MD ) |
Study ID Numbers: | 5U54HD028138-024 |
Study First Received: | October 25, 2006 |
Last Updated: | December 4, 2008 |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT00392756 |
Health Authority: | United States: Food and Drug Administration |
Kallmann Syndrome Idiopathic Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism Pulsatile GnRH |
Hypogonadism Gonadal Disorders Endocrine System Diseases Septo-optic dysplasia |
Kallmann Syndrome Endocrinopathy Septo-Optic Dysplasia |