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Biomedical subjects

L A Perry

Publications and source records attributed to L A Perry.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Diminished adrenal androgen secretion in familial glucocorticoid deficiency implicates a significant role for ACTH in the induction of adrenarche.

OBJECTIVE: The mechanism of adrenarche is controversial, and there have been competing claims that its origin is in the hypothalamo-pituitary axis or in the adrenal gland itself. ACTH is proposed inducer of adrenarche so patients with ACTH resistance due to be familial glucocorticoid deficiency syndrome provide a model to clarify the degree to which ACTH is involved in the regulation of adrenal androgen secretion during adrenarche. DESIGN: Random analysis of plasma adrenal androgens and urinary adrenal androgen output in treated patients with familial glucocorticoid deficiency. PATIENTS: Eleven patients (6 males and 5 females, aged 6.5-21.6 years, 4 prepubertal, minimum bone age 9 years) with familial glucocorticoid deficiency were studied. In 6, mutations, in the coding region of the ACTH receptor are the cause of their ACTH resistance. In the remaining 5 the receptor was normal. MEASUREMENTS: Physical examination, basal serum cortisol, basal plasma ACTH, serum cortisol after stimulation with 250 micrograms ACTH(1-24), plasma dehydroepiandrosterone-sulphate (DHEAS) and plasma androstenedione (A4), total urinary androgen excretion and single-stranded sequencing of the coding region of the ACTH receptor. RESULTS: DHEAS was undetectable in 8, and detectable but below the age-matched reference values in 3 patients. A4 was measured in 10 patients, and in 3 patients (2 in late puberty) was found to be subnormal whereas in the remaining 7 patients A4 was normal for age and pubertal stage consistent with the gonadal contribution to peripheral A4 levels. Significantly diminished output of urinary adrenal androgen metabolites in 3 patients confirmed the results found in serum. The lack of adrenarche was independent of the presence of a mutation within the ACTH receptor and of the severity of glucocorticoid deficiency. Despite adequate glucocorticoid replacement therapy ACTH levels remained elevated in 10 of the 11 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Although reduced adrenocortical inner zone cell number may contribute to the lack of adrenarche, in some patients there appears to be a discrepancy between partial glucocorticoid deficiency and significantly diminished adrenal androgen secretion. These data imply a significant contribution of ACTH to the regulation of adrenarche in normal children either by having a priming effect on the adrenal gland or by acting in concert with other adrenal androgen stimulating factors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Girls with virilisation in childhood: a diagnostic protocol for investigation.

AIM: To analyse critically a protocol for the investigation of girls presenting with virilisation in childhood. METHODS: Twenty five girls aged 1.6-8.7 years with features of virilisation were evaluated. Twenty four had presented with pubic hair, eight with auxilliary hair, seven with facial acne, four with clitoromegaly, and 10 with tall stature. They underwent clinical assessment (height, weight, height velocity, staging of puberty, physical examination for acne, body odour, and clitoromegaly) and laboratory assessment comprising basal concentrations of cortisol, 17 OH-progesterone (17 OHP), androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosteronesulphate (DHEAS), testosterone, and oestradiol. The above steroids were also measured during the short synacthen test (0.25 mg intramuscularly) in 16 subjects and low dose dexamethasone suppression tests (0.5 mg at six hourly intervals over 48 hours). Pelvic ultrasound, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of adrenals were carried out when the biochemical findings suggested that there might be an autonomous source of androgen secretion. RESULTS: Clinical and laboratory assessments differentiated the patients into three diagnostic categories: adrenarche (18 cases), congenital adrenal hyperplasia (five cases), and adrenocortical tumour (two cases). The last had elevated concentrations of DHEAS, 1.5 and 19.1 mumol/l (normal value < 0.5 mumol/l), androstenedione, 24.6 and 21.8 nmol/l (normal < 1 nmol/l), and testosterone, 4.5 and 2.4 nmol/l (normal < 0.8 nmol/l), with none suppressing on dexamethasone suppression. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia subjects had elevated basal serum concentrations of 17 OHP (n = 4): 250, 140, 14, and 14.1 nmol/l (normal < 10 nmol/l) and elevated peak values of 17 OHP after synacthen (n = 3): 76, 179.5, and 175 nmol/l. Adrenarche patients had elevated basal concentrations of DHEAS (median: 2.3 mumol/l; n = 17) and androstenedione (median 2.6 nmol/l; n = 17). Nine patients also had elevated basal serum testosterone concentrations (median 0.9 nmol/l). Peak values of 17 OHP after synacthen were significantly different from baseline (n = 12) and were < 50% of the lowest value in congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Serum DHEAS, androstenedione, and testosterone suppressed following dexamethasone suppression (n = 16), thereby distinguishing adrenarche patients from adrenal tumour patients. Clinical details did not distinguish patients, except for clitoromegaly which was present only in the tumour and congenital adrenal hyperplasia patients. CONCLUSIONS: This protocol proved useful and practical in cases of virilisation presenting particular diagnostic difficulty.

Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms↗
PubMed1996

Can biochemical markers predict bone loss at the hip and spine?: a 4-year prospective study of 141 early postmenopausal women.

A number of recent studies have suggested that non-invasive measures of bone turnover are associated with bone loss at the forearm in postmenopausal women. Whether bone turnover markers are predictive of bone loss from the clinically important sites of lumbar spine and femoral neck remain unclear, and was the aim of this 4-year prospective study. One hundred and forty-one normal, postmenopausal women (mean age 52.0 +/- 3.3 years, mean menopause duration 20.4 +/- 5.7 months) were recruited for the study in 1988. Fasting early morning samples of blood and urine were collected at the baseline visit and stored at -20 degrees C prior to analysis. Serum was assayed for osteocalcin, oestradiol, oestrone, oestrone sulphate, testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate and total alkaline phosphatase. Urine was assayed for calcium, hydroxyproline, oestrone glucuronide and the collagen cross-links pyridinoline and deoxypyridinoline using high-performance liquid chromatography. Bone density was measured at the lumbar spine and femoral neck using dual photon absorptiometry at time 0, 12, 24 and 48 months. The mean annual percentage change in bone density (SE) was -1.41% (0.18) at the lumbar spine and -0.86% (0.22) at the femoral neck. There was no evidence of bimodality or a fast loser subgroup as the rates of change were normally distributed. Both simple and multiple stepwise regression analyses revealed no significant correlation between the rates of change in bone density with any biochemical marker, either individually or in combination, despite the study having sufficient power (80%) to detect a correlation of 0.5 between any biochemical marker levels and bone loss. We conclude that single measurements of these markers of bone turnover and endogenous sex hormones appear unlikely to be clinically useful in predicting early postmenopausal bone loss from either the spine or the hip.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed1996

A randomized trial of testosterone therapy in males with rheumatoid arthritis.

Thirty-five male patients, aged 34-79 yr, with definite rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were recruited from out-patient clinics and randomized to receive monthly injections of testosterone enanthate 250 mg or placebo as an adjunct therapy for 9 months. Endpoints included disease activity parameters and bone mineral density (BMD). At baseline, there were negative correlations between the ESR and serum testosterone (r = -0.42, P < 0.01) and BMD (hip, r = -0.65, P < 0.01). A total of 29.6% of all patients had at least one vertebral fracture, most having multiple fractures. Back pain, however, was not more prevalent in fracture patients (55% vs 50%). Disease activity was significantly higher in the fracture group (joint score P < 0.05, rheumatoid factor P < 0.01). Thirty patients completed the trial, 15 receiving testosterone and 15 receiving placebo. There were significant rises in serum testosterone, dihydrotestosterone and oestradiol in the treatment group. There was no significant effect of treatment on disease activity overall, five patients receiving testosterone underwent a "flare'. Differences in mean BMD following testosterone or placebo were non-significant (spine: +1.2% vs -1.1%; femur: -0.3% vs +0.3%). There was no suggestion of a positive effect of testosterone on disease activity in men with RA.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Relaxin levels in amniotic fluid, extraembryonic coelomic fluid and maternal serum in early human pregnancy.

Separately identified samples of amniotic fluid and extraembryonic coelomic fluid together with maternal serum were collected from 22 women between 8 and 11 weeks of pregnancy and analysed for relaxin by immunoassay. Relaxin levels in maternal serum (median 1085 pg/ml; range 390-1259 pg/ml) were substantially higher than those in extraembryonic coelomic fluid (median 57.5 pg/ml; range 17-145 pg/ml; P < 0.0001; Mann-Whitney U-test). In turn, the levels of relaxin in coelomic fluid were higher than those in amniotic fluid (median 10 pg/ml; range 10-37 pg/ml; P < 0.0001; Mann-Whitney U-test). A linear correlation was found between relaxin levels in maternal serum and coelomic fluid (r = 0.68; P = 0.001) but there was no relation between levels in the other fluid compartments.

Amniotic Fluid↗
PubMed1995

Gender differences in incidence of idiopathic fistula-in-ano are not explained by circulating sex hormones.

The observed increased incidence of idiopathic anal fistulae in men compared with women cannot be explained by the cryptoglandular hypothesis alone. Male predilection is even more pronounced in neonates and is also seen in the canine population. Investigations into hormonal aspects of hidradenitis suppurativa suggest a possible influence of androgens in its pathogenesis. In order to investigate the possibility of a similar effect in fistula-in-ano, we have compared a range of circulating sex hormones in 15 male and 12 female patients with anal fistulae with those in equal numbers of age-matched controls. There were no differences in levels of any measured hormones between male patients and healthy controls. There was no evidence of increased androgenisation of female patients. Women with fistulae had higher levels of circulating oestradiol (253 vs 163 pmol/l, medians, P = 0.03) and lower levels of progesterone (1.05 vs 3.0 nmol/l, medians, P = 0.039) than healthy women. Further work is merited to investigate the possibility of increased local androgen conversion in anal glands.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Investigation, management and therapeutic outcome in 12 cases of childhood and adolescent Cushing's syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Cushing's syndrome in childhood and adolescence is rare. We analysed the clinical presentation, investigation, management and therapeutic outcome in 12 paediatric patients with Cushing's syndrome. DESIGN: Retrospective review of case notes. PATIENTS: Twelve patients, 7 males and 5 females, aged 7.6-17.8 years with Cushing's syndrome who were admitted to St Bartholomew's Hospital between 1978 and 1993, were studied. Aetiologies of the Cushing's syndrome patients were: Cushing's disease (9), adrenal adenoma (1), nodular adrenocortical dysplasia (1) and ectopic ACTH syndrome (1). One further male patient, aged 17.8 years who presented with Nelson's syndrome after bilateral adrenalectomy for Cushing's disease in 1978, is described. MEASUREMENTS: Presenting symptoms, endocrine tests for hypercortisolism, imaging studies, simultaneous bilateral inferior petrosal sinus sampling and therapeutic strategies are discussed. RESULTS: The dominant clinical features were obesity, short stature, virilization, headaches, fatigue and emotional lability. Investigations confirmed Cushing's syndrome by demonstrating absent cortisol circadian rhythm and impaired suppression on low dose dexamethasone test and differentiated Cushing's disease from other aetiologies by high dose dexamethasone and hCRH tests. In Cushing's disease, pituitary CT scan identified a microadenoma in 4 out of 9 subjects. In 5 of the 9 patients (3 with a normal pituitary CT, 2 with a suggested microadenoma), a pituitary MRI scan was performed and confirmed the CT findings. Inferior petrosal sinus catheterization for ACTH in 4 patients confirmed excess pituitary ACTH secretion, correctly lateralizing the tumour in all cases. Cushing's disease was treated by transsphenoidal surgery alone in 6 patients and combined with pituitary irradiation in 3 patients. Of these 9 patients, 7 are cured and 2 are in remission. The patient with Nelson's syndrome is cured after total hypophysectomy. CONCLUSIONS: This series describes the clinical features, aetiologies and management of juvenile Cushing's syndrome. Investigation with low and high-dose dexamethasone suppression tests and hCRH test identified the aetiology in each case. Collaboration between paediatric and adult endocrine units together with an experienced neurosurgeon and a radiotherapist contributed to the successful therapeutic outcome of these patients.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1995

Early growth is not increased in untreated moderately severe 21-hydroxylase deficiency.

The pretreatment growth of 1 British and 14 Swedish children with late (2-7 years) diagnosis of 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21OHD) was studied. The latter group included all patients diagnosed in Sweden after 1986. Twelve had mutations of the 21-hydroxylase gene that are generally associated with moderately severe ("simple virilizing") forms of 21OHD, one had a severe ("salt-losing") and one a mild ("non-classical") form. The British girl was followed from 4 months of age. She had grossly elevated levels of 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, androstenedione and testosterone in blood, but her parents refused treatment until she was 4 years of age. None of the 15 children showed any significant increase in growth or progress of virilization until after 18 months of age. These observations indicate that growth during the first 1.5 years is not very sensitive to androgens. Thus glucocorticoid replacement during the first year of life should be kept to a minimum to avoid over-treatment.

Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital↗
PubMed1995

Central 5-hydroxytryptaminergic function in irritable bowel syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Psychological factors may contribute to the aetiology and exacerbation of symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), suggesting that the central nervous system may be an important site of dysfunction in IBS. Hormonal responses after a serotonergic challenge assess the functional integrity of central 5-hydroxytryptaminergic pathways and are diminished in depression. The aim of this study was to determine whether hormonal responses in IBS after a serotonergic challenge would be decreased, as in depression, or exaggerated, as have been reported in another functional gastrointestinal disorder, nonulcer dyspepsia. METHODS: Fourteen IBS patients, 16 healthy volunteers, and 9 patients with inflammatory bowel disease were given 30 mg d-fenfluramine, a selective stimulus to central 5-hydroxytryptaminergic pathways. RESULTS: Plasma prolactin and cortisol concentrations during the following 5 h increased to a similar extent in all three subject groups, despite increased levels of anxiety and depression (as scored on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Beck Depression Inventory) in the IBS and inflammatory bowel disease patients compared with the healthy controls. Base-line cortisol concentration correlated with the magnitude of affective disorder. CONCLUSION: In contrast to the alterations of central 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor sensitivity seen in depression and non-ulcer dyspepsia, central 5-hydroxytryptaminergic pathways function normally in IBS.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

A multidisciplinary approach to the management of pregnant patients with end-stage renal disease.

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) in pregnancy is a complex perinatal condition requiring a multidisciplinary approach to care. This article will summarize the literature, provide a brief overview of dialysis therapy, describe the inherent maternal and fetal complications, and present a case history of a pregnant patient with ESRD. The clinical management, using a multidisciplinary approach, is discussed in detail, with a major focus on the obstetric nursing plan of care.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Menstrual irregularities are more common in adolescents with type 1 diabetes: association with poor glycaemic control and weight gain.

Ovarian function in post-menarchal girls with Type 1 diabetes was evaluated. Menstrual histories from 24 adolescents with Type 1 diabetes were compared with those from 24 age and sex matched controls. A fasting blood sample was obtained from subjects with Type 1 diabetes for the measurement of ovarian and adrenal sex hormones, LH and FSH, glucose and insulin, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1); and an ovarian ultrasound scan was performed. Menstrual irregularity was more prevalent in patients with Type 1 diabetes than controls (54% vs 21%, p < 0.01) and their mean body mass index (BMI) was greater (22.3 +/- 0.5 (+/- SEM) vs 20.7 +/- 0.6 kg m-2, p < 0.05). Subjects with Type 1 diabetes with irregular menses (when compared with diabetic subjects with a regular cycle) had a significantly higher HbA1 (12.8 +/- 0.4 vs 10.5 +/- 0.5%, p < 0.01) and BMI (23.2 +/- 0.6 vs 21.4 +/- 0.6 kg m-2, p < 0.05) associated with a lower sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) (37.2 +/- 4.0 vs 52.6 +/- 4.0 nmol l-1, p < 0.025) and IGF-I (1.4 +/- 0.2 vs 2.2 +/- 0.2 mUI-1, p < 0.025) and a higher LH:FSH ratio (2.6 +/- 0.5 vs 1.4 +/- 0.2, p < 0.05). Polycystic ovarian changes were identified in 10/13 (77%) of these patients with an irregular cycle. Menstrual irregularity is common in post-menarchal girls with Type 1 diabetes and is associated with poor glycaemic control and weight gain. The apparent high incidence of polycystic ovarian change requires further investigation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Plasma prolactin, adrenocorticotrophic hormone and cortisol after administration of d-fenfluramine or placebo to healthy subjects.

Hormonal responses following single doses of the racemic drug d,l-fenfluramine have been used as an index of central 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) function. We wished to evaluate normal responses to d-fenfluramine, which is more specific at stimulating 5-HT pathways. Twelve healthy volunteers were given 30 mg oral d-fenfluramine and placebo in a randomized single-blind crossover design. Following d-fenfluramine there was a rise in plasma prolactin, but no ACTH response. Cortisol levels did not rise above baseline values, but d-fenfluramine diminished the circadian fall in cortisol output, and cortisol levels were slightly higher after d-fenfluramine than after placebo. Unlike d,l-fenfluramine, d-fenfluramine is not a potent stimulus for ACTH and cortisol release. Hormonal responses following d-fenfluramine provide a more accurate assessment of the functional integrity of central 5-HT activity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Depressed levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate in postmenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis but no relation with axial bone density.

The sex hormones dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS), oestradiol, and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) were measured in 185 postmenopausal women (aged 45-65 years) with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and related to assessments of bone mineral density at the spine and proximal femur. Compared with 518 postmenopausal control women (aged 45-65 years), DHEAS levels were below normal in the 120 patients with RA who had never taken corticosteroids and levels were further depressed in 39 patients currently using steroids. Twenty six patients who had completed steroid treatment also had lower DHEAS levels, suggesting a delayed recovery of adrenal androgen secretion. Oestradiol and SHBG levels were similar in all groups. There was no correlation between sex hormones and disease activity. Oestradiol correlated with bone mineral density at all sites. Although oestradiol correlated with DHEAS, there was no relation between DHEAS and bone mineral density. The cause of below normal levels of DHEAS in RA is unclear, whether a consequence of chronic illness, immune dysfunction, or a defect of adrenal androgen synthesis.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Protective effect of androgens against inflammation induced cartilage degradation in male rodents.

OBJECTIVES: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a disease which predominantly affects women. Interestingly, low serum androgen levels and clinical improvement with androgen replacement have been reported in male patients. The aetiopathogenic role of sex hormones in arthritis and their potential long term effects on joint destruction and disability remains unclear, however. This study was designed to investigate the potential influence of sex hormones on inflammation induced cartilage degradation in male rodents. METHODS: An in vivo model of cotton wrapped cartilage implants was used to assess the effects of androgen, oestradiol, and progesterone on inflammation induced cartilage degradation, and in vitro techniques were used to investigate the direct actions on cartilage metabolism and cytokine production in male animals. RESULTS: Orchidectomy resulted in accelerated cartilage damage which was reversed by replacement of physiological levels of androgens. Granulomatous tissue from castrated male rodents produced higher amounts of interleukin 1. Sex hormones reduced spontaneous proteoglycan loss in vitro but did not interfere with the effects of interleukin 1 on cultured cartilage. CONCLUSIONS: Androgens appear to protect cartilage from inflammation induced breakdown in male animals. These results support a pathogenic role for hypoandrogenism in rheumatoid arthritis and suggest that long term androgen replacement may help prevent joint damage and disability.

Androgens↗
PubMed1992

Investigation of adrenal function in women with oligomenorrhoea and hirsutism (clinical PCOS) from the north-east of England using an adrenal stimulation test.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of adrenal enzyme dysfunction in women presenting with oligomenorrhoea and hirsutism, two clinical features of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). DESIGN: A prospective study of women attending outpatient clinics with these complaints. Androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP), 11-deoxycortisol and cortisol were measured before and after overnight dexamethasone suppression and at 60 minutes after adrenal stimulation by ACTH injection. SUBJECTS: Fifty women with clinical features of PCOS and 37 control women with regular cycles and normal hair distribution from the catchment area of the Royal Victoria Infirmary which includes Newcastle upon Tyne, Co. Durham, Cleveland, Cumbria and Northumberland. MEASUREMENTS: Number of women with steroid responses to ACTH beyond the normal range, as defined by the responses of the control group and in previous studies. RESULTS: Nineteen women (38%) were found to have some abnormality. One woman (2%) was identified with 21-hydroxylase (21-OHase) deficiency and a second (2%) had an increase in 17-OHP compatible with the heterozygote state for 21-OHase deficiency. Four women (8%) had isolated elevations in the DHEA response consistent with minimal 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3 beta-HSD) deficiency. Thirteen women (26%) showed increases in both androstenedione and DHEA, or androstenedione alone, compatible with enhanced 17-20 lyase activity. CONCLUSIONS: Twelve per cent of the group showed evidence consistent with an adrenal enzyme deficiency; 26% had results in keeping with increased adrenal androgen production without an enzyme deficiency. These findings may be of relevance both in the pathogenesis of the features of PCOS and in determining appropriate treatment for individual patients.

3-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases↗
PubMed1991

Endogenous sex steroid levels in women with generalised osteoarthritis.

Epidemiologic and clinical observations have suggested a relationship between generalised osteoarthritis (GOA) and hormonal and menopausal factors in women. We explored the hypothesis that postmenopausal women with GOA have altered sex hormone status compared with control women. We studied 112 women (mean age 64) with GOA. Controls were 151 women (mean age 54) from the general population without clinical evidence of hand or knee OA. All women were postmenopausal. Serum was assayed by RIA for testosterone, oestradiol, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), and dyhydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS). Because of the differences in mean ages, the results were compared according to equal age groups divided on the basis of tertiles. SHBG was lower in the GOA group, reaching significance in the middle group 53-61 years (58.0 vs 67.9 nmol/l p less than 0.05). Testosterone was slightly higher in GOA women aged under 53. No consistent differences were seen in the older age group or for the other sex steroids. These preliminary data suggest that middle-aged women with GOA have lower circulating SHBG levels. This implies that higher circulating free oestrogens and androgens are present suggesting a role in the aetiopathogenesis of GOA.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Lack of placental protein 14 production in pregnancy after frozen embryo transfer, down-regulation of anterior pituitary and administration of exogenous oestradiol and progesterone.

The circulating levels of placental protein 14 (PP14) and progesterone were measured in three pregnancies resulting from the transfer of cryopreserved embryos. Two of these women had suppressed ovarian activity as a result of pituitary down-regulation with the luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist (buserelin) prior to treatment with exogenous oestradiol and progesterone. After 14 days of oral oestradiol treatment and if the endometrial thickness was greater than 7 mm, progesterone was given intramuscularly for a further 14 days with embryo transfer on the third day of this treatment. On confirmation of pregnancy by human chorionic gonadotrophin analysis, progesterone administration was altered to transvaginal pessaries for maintenance of adequate progesterone levels and endometrial support. In the two women with ovarian suppression, PP14 levels remained below the 2.5th centile of the normal range for pregnancy. In the third pregnancy, embryo transfer was performed 3 days after a spontaneous luteinizing hormone surge in a normal menstrual cycle. In this pregnancy, PP14 levels were within the normal range. Ultrasonic examination confirmed three normal ongoing singleton pregnancies. These results suggest that the majority of PP14 production in normal pregnancy is under ovarian or anterior pituitary control and that the influence of progesterone is of a secondary nature.

Buserelin↗