A Testicular-Interstitial-Cell-Stimulating Gonadotrophin in a Child with Hepatoblastoma and Sexual Precocity

A gonadotrophin with testicular interstitial-cell-stimulating activity was detected in extracts of hepatoblastoma and a pulmonary metastasis and in the urine of a 3-yr-old male with isosexual precocity manifested by advanced skeletal maturation (bone age 4 yr), adult urinary testosterone excretion (62 μg/day) and Ley dig cell hyperplasia. The gonadotrophin content of the hepatoblastoma, measured by the ventral prostate weight method in immature, hypophysectomized male rats, was 2.6 IU/g. This gonadotrophin was immunologically similar to the luteinizing principle in the Second International Reference Preparation of Human Menopausal Gonadotrophin (2nd IRP-HMG) in a double-antibody radioimmunoassay employing guinea pig antiserum to human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG), purified human pituitary luteinizing hormone (LH)-131I as tracer and the 2nd IRP-HMG as standard. The standard curves obtained utilizing the 2nd IRP-HMG, pituitary LH and HCG were parallel in this assay. Extracts of normal liver, of li...