Total Gonadotropin Activity in the Urine of Prepubertal Children

Abstract

Four hundred fifty-nine 24-hr urine specimens from 44 normal children between the ages of 4 and 10 have been screened for total gonadotropin activity by means of the mouse uterus assay. Gonadotropins were detected at the 10 mouse uterus unit level in 1/6 of the specimens. Seventy-five per cent of the children had at least one 24-hr urine sample which yielded a positive result. No definite conclusions about the endocrine status of a prepubertal patient can be drawn from single random determinations of total urinary gonadotropin. A scheme is proposed for evaluating the results obtained from multiple 24-hr collections.