Treatment of Boys With Precocious Puberty

March 3, 2008 updated by: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Spironolactone and Testolactone Treatment of Boys With Familial Isosexual Precocious Puberty

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).

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Most males with precocious puberty who have been referred to NIH have been successfully treated under protocol 79-CH-0112 "Treatment of True Precocious Puberty with a Long-Acting Luteinizing Hormone Releasing Hormone Analog (D-Trp6-Pro9-Net-LHRH)." A subset of these patients, however, all of whom had familial male isosexual precocity, had an inadequate response to LHRH analog as demonstrated by high serum testosterone levels, rapid advancement in bone age, testicular growth, sperm production, and lack of regression of secondary sex characteristics. These patients had low baseline gonadotropin levels and lacked a pubertal response to LHRH, whereas the patients who had responded to LHRH analog all had clear evidence of central precocious puberty.

As an alternative approach to treatment, the patients with familial male precocious puberty were enrolled in protocol 83-CH-0028, "Spironolactone Treatment of Boys with Familial Isosexual Precocious Puberty". Spironolactone (Aldactone) is an antiandrogen that also reduced testosterone synthesis by inhibiting the enzyme 17-hydroxylase. This treatment decreased the plasma testosterone level and inhibited the peripheral effect of testosterone on target tissues. This was apparent through a decrease in acne and in the frequency of spontaneous erections.

Bone age advancement, however, was not slowed by spironolactone and gynecomastia had begun to occur in a number of patients. Both of these processes may be the result of persisting elevated estradiol levels. To attempt to reduce elevated estrogen levels in these patients to normal prepubertal levels, we plan to use testolactone (Teslac) to inhibit aromatase, the last step of estrogen biosynthesis. Testolactone has previously been used for a similar purpose in girls with gonadotropin-independent precocious puberty (McCune-Albright Syndrome) under protocol 82-CH-0165, "Testolactone treatment of girls with LHRH analog-resistant precocious puberty due to autonomous non-neoplastic ovarian estrogen secretion."

We plan to administer combined spironolactone and testolactone treatment-spironolactone to inhibit the action of androgen, and testolactone to block the formation of estrogen. The goal of this treatment is to delay sexual maturation and to prevent early closure of the epiphyses and adult short stature. These goals are being partially met with spironolactone and we postulate that the addition of testolactone will improve response by slowing bone growth and preventing gynecomastia. Preliminary results using this regimen demonstrate that blockade of both androgen action and estrogen synthesis is an effective treatment for familial male precocious puberty. Throughout the therapy, patients will receive frequent clinical, hormonal, and toxicological monitoring.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment

80

Phase

  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Maryland
      • Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
        • National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

Male

Description

INCLUSION CRITERIA:

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

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

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

January 1, 1985

Study Completion

January 1, 2004

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 3, 1999

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 3, 1999

First Posted (Estimate)

November 4, 1999

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

March 4, 2008

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 3, 2008

Last Verified

January 1, 2004

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 850016
  • 85-CH-0016

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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