OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship of serum dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) levels and female precocious puberty.

METHODSThe serum levels of DHEA and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) were measured by ELISA in 60 idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP) girls, 62 premature thelarche (PT) girls and 31 age-matched health prepuberty girls. Bone age,volume of uterus and ovary, DHEA and DHEAS were re-measured in 3, 12 months after treatment with Diphereline in ICPP girls.

RESULT(1) The Log(DHEA) and Log(DHEAS) were (0.81 +/-0.36)microg/L and (2.31 +/-0.31)microg/L in ICPP group, (0.72 +/-0.30)microg/L and (2.31 +/-0.28)mg/L in PT group, and (0.32 +/-0.26)microg/L and (2.16+/-0.27)microg/L in controls (P <0.05). However, no significant differences were found between ICPP and PT group (P >0.05). Moreover, the serum levels of DHEA and DHEAS in precocious puberty girls with Tanner III stage were significant higher than those with Tanner II stage (P <0.05). (2) With bivariate correlation analysis, Log(DHEA) was positively correlated with height, bone age, volume of uterus and ovary (r=0.429, 0.339, 0.217, 0.282; all P<0.05), while no significant correlation with Log(LH peak), Log(FSH peak) and BMI (r=0.135, -0.165, 0.059). Log(DHEAS) was positively correlated with height,bone age and volume of ovary (r=0.319, 0.210, 0.181; P <0.05), while no correlated with Log(LH peak), Log(FSH peak), volume of uterus and BMI (r=0.012, -0.173, 0.146 and 0.081 respectively). (3) Serum Log (DHEA) and Log(DHEAS) of 32 ICPP were decreased from (0.83 +/-0.35) microg/L and (2.27 +/-0.30)microg/L to (0.68 +/-0.44)microg/L and (2.11 +/-0.43)microg/L (P<0.05) 3 months after treatment. The serum Log(DHEA) and Log(DHEAS) in 12 months after treatment were (0.78 +/-0.30)microg/L and (2.40+/-0.34)microg/L, which was not significantly different with that before treatment (P>0.05). However, the volume of uterus and ovary, bone age/age in 12 months after treatment were significantly different with those before treatment (2.82 +/-1.52 compared with 1.09 +/-0.50 ml, 3.15 +/-1.13 compared with 1.18 +/-0.42 ml, 1.43 +/-0.23 compared with 1.25 +/-0.12, all P<0.05).

CONCLUSION(1) The serum levels of DHEA and DHEAS are increased in precocious puberty girls with the development of Tanner stage. (2) Serum levels of DHEA and DHEAS are declined transiently when the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis is inhibited. (3) Serum DHEA is associated with the acceleration of growth and bone age in precocious puberty girls.