Studying the Effects of 7 Days of Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH) Treatment in Men With Hypogonadism

Kallmann Syndrome Clinical Trial

Official title:

The Effects of 7 Days of Exogenous Pulsatile GnRH Treatment on the Pituitary-Gonadal Axis in Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadal Subjects

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT00493961
• Other study ID #: U54HD028138-447
• Secondary ID: U54HD028138
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 1
• Start date: January 1999
• Est. completion date: November 17, 2009

Study information

• Verified date: June 2022
• Source: Massachusetts General Hospital
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Men with Idiopathic Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism (IHH) lack a hormone called gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH). This hormone is important for starting puberty, maintaining testosterone levels, and fertility. The purpose of this study is to research the effects of treating IHH men with GnRH for 7 days.

Description:

Despite variability in the triggers, timing, and pace of sexual maturity between species, all species utilize the final pathway of hypothalamic secretion of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) to initiate and maintain the reproductive axis. Thus, GnRH is required for reproductive competence in the human. The classic studies from the 1970s clearly demonstrate that pulsatile release of GnRH from the hypothalamus is a prerequisite for physiologic gonadotrope function. Absence, decreased frequency or decreased amplitude of pulsatile GnRH release results in the clinical syndrome of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH). The phenotypic expression of GnRH deficiency in the human demonstrates considerable heterogeneity. Defining the physiology of GnRH is critical to understanding the clinical heterogeneity of isolated GnRH deficiency and its comparison to other conditions resulting in hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH). The overall goal of this protocol is to investigate the neuroendocrine control of reproduction and specifically the physiology and pathophysiology of GnRH secretion and action in the human male.

Subjects will be selected from a group of adult men (18-65 years)based on the demonstration of a low testosterone level (<100 ng/dL) in association with low or inappropriately normal gonadotropin levels. All patients will undergo an initial assessment that includes an overnight 12-hour frequent blood sampling study to determine their degree of endogenous GnRH secretion. Following the overnight evaluation, subjects will have daily outpatient visits for 7 consecutive days when they will receive a GnRH bolus followed by 2hrs of blood sampling.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 27
• Est. completion date: November 17, 2009
• Est. primary completion date: November 17, 2009
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: Male
• Age group: 18 Years to 65 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) or Kallmann syndrome (KS)Adult male 18-65 years of age

• Serum testosterone <100 ng/dL

Exclusion Criteria:

• No specific exclusion criteria

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• GnRH Deficiency
• Hypogonadism
• Idiopathic Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism
• Kallmann Syndrome

Intervention

Drug:
• gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH)
Pulsatile GnRH (25 ng/kg per bolus every two hours via microinfusion pump)

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Massachusetts General Hospital	Boston	Massachusetts

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Massachusetts General Hospital

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

References & Publications (18)

Arimura A, Kastin AJ, Gonzalez-Barcena D, Siller J, Weaver RE, Schally AV. Disappearance of LH-releasing hormone in man as determined by radioimmunoassay. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 1974 Oct;3(4):421-5. — View Citation

Belchetz PE, Plant TM, Nakai Y, Keogh EJ, Knobil E. Hypophysial responses to continuous and intermittent delivery of hypopthalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone. Science. 1978 Nov 10;202(4368):631-3. — View Citation

Clarke IJ, Cummins JT. The temporal relationship between gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion in ovariectomized ewes. Endocrinology. 1982 Nov;111(5):1737-9. — View Citation

Filicori M, Butler JP, Crowley WF Jr. Neuroendocrine regulation of the corpus luteum in the human. Evidence for pulsatile progesterone secretion. J Clin Invest. 1984 Jun;73(6):1638-47. — View Citation

Filippi G. Klinefelter's syndrome in Sardinia. Clinical report of 265 hypogonadic males detected at the time of military check-up. Clin Genet. 1986 Oct;30(4):276-84. — View Citation

Fromantin M, Gineste J, Didier A, Rouvier J. [Impuberism and hypogonadism at induction into military service. Statistical study]. Probl Actuels Endocrinol Nutr. 1973 May 3;16:179-99. French. — View Citation

Groome NP, Illingworth PJ, O'Brien M, Pai R, Rodger FE, Mather JP, McNeilly AS. Measurement of dimeric inhibin B throughout the human menstrual cycle. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1996 Apr;81(4):1401-5. — View Citation

Hayes FJ, McNicholl DJ, Schoenfeld D, Marsh EE, Hall JE. Free alpha-subunit is superior to luteinizing hormone as a marker of gonadotropin-releasing hormone despite desensitization at fast pulse frequencies. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1999 Mar;84(3):1028-36. — View Citation

Hoffman AR, Crowley WF Jr. Induction of puberty in men by long-term pulsatile administration of low-dose gonadotropin-releasing hormone. N Engl J Med. 1982 Nov 11;307(20):1237-41. — View Citation

Karsch FJ, Bowen JM, Caraty A, Evans NP, Moenter SM. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone requirements for ovulation. Biol Reprod. 1997 Feb;56(2):303-9. Review. — View Citation

Landy H, Schneyer AL, Whitcomb RW, Crowley WF Jr. Validation of highly specific and sensitive radioimmunoassays for lutropin, follitropin, and free alpha subunit in unextracted urine. Clin Chem. 1990 Feb;36(2):340-4. — View Citation

Narasimha Rao P, Moore PH Jr. Synthesis of new steroid haptens for radioimmunoassay. Part I. 15beta-Carboxyethylmercaptotestosterone-bovine serum albumin conjugate. Measurement of testosterone in male plasma without chromatography. Steroids. 1976 Jul;28(1):101-9. — View Citation

Pimstone B, Epstein S, Hamilton SM, LeRoith D, Hendricks S. Metabolic clearance and plasma half disappearance time of exogenous gonadotropin releasing hormone in normal subjects and in patients with liver disease and chronic renal failure. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1977 Feb;44(2):356-60. — View Citation

Pitteloud N, Thambundit A, Dwyer AA, Falardeau JL, Plummer L, Caronia LM, Hayes FJ, Lee H, Boepple PA, Crowley WF Jr. Role of seminiferous tubular development in determining the FSH versus LH responsiveness to GnRH in early sexual maturation. Neuroendocri — View Citation

Seminara SB, Hayes FJ, Crowley WF Jr. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone deficiency in the human (idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and Kallmann's syndrome): pathophysiological and genetic considerations. Endocr Rev. 1998 Oct;19(5):521-39. Review. — View Citation

Spratt DI, O'Dea LS, Schoenfeld D, Butler J, Rao PN, Crowley WF Jr. Neuroendocrine-gonadal axis in men: frequent sampling of LH, FSH, and testosterone. Am J Physiol. 1988 May;254(5 Pt 1):E658-66. — View Citation

Sykiotis GP, Hoang XH, Avbelj M, Hayes FJ, Thambundit A, Dwyer A, Au M, Plummer L, Crowley WF Jr, Pitteloud N. Congenital idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism: evidence of defects in the hypothalamus, pituitary, and testes. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 20 — View Citation

Whitcomb RW, Crowley WF Jr. Clinical review 4: Diagnosis and treatment of isolated gonadotropin-releasing hormone deficiency in men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1990 Jan;70(1):3-7. Review. — View Citation

* Note: There are 18 references in all — Click here to view all references

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	testosterone		daily for 7 days
Primary	LH		frequent sampling for 2 hours
Primary	FSH		frequent sampling for 2 hours
Primary	Inhibin B		daily for 7 days
Primary	free alpha subunit		daily for 7 days

External Links

•   Clinical research studies of the Reproductive Endocrine Unit at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Click here for more information about this study: Effects of Seven Days of Exogenous Pulsatile GnRH Treatment...