12 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
Adolescent girls with androgen excess have a higher rate of irregular periods and decreased ovulation rates compared to normal girls, and are considered at-risk for developing polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This pilot study will look at whether giving spironolactone might improve ovulation rates in girls with androgen excess, ages 13-19. If this is true, spironolactone treatment to young girls might prevent PCOS from developing and avoid future infertility.
Background: Gynecologic conditions are those that are related to the reproductive system. They can be reproductive gland disorders or reproductive system tumors. They can also be inborn anomalies of the reproductive tract. Researchers want to gather data over time from a large group of young people with these conditions. Objective: To create a database about child and teenage gynecologic conditions. Eligibility: Participants of any age with known or suspected pediatric and adolescent gynecologic conditions, and their adult family members Design: Participants will be screened with a review of their medical records. Participants may have a medical history and physical exam. Participants will have blood drawn using a needle. The blood will be used for genetic tests. Participants will have saliva collected. They will spit into a small plastic container. Or their spit will be absorbed from their mouth using a small sponge. The saliva will be used for genetic tests. Participants may have samples collected from their vagina. A small cotton swab will be used to gather the samples. This procedure is optional. If participants have a surgery related to their condition, a small tissue sample will be taken. It will be stored for future research. Participants may complete optional surveys. These surveys ask about their physical and emotional health. They can choose not to answer any of the questions. Researchers will collect medical data from participants standard tests. Such tests may include blood and urine tests, X-rays, nuclear medicine scans, and other tests. Data will also be collected from standard treatments they may receive.
The goal of this study is to learn more about the genes that control puberty and reproduction in humans.
Early diabetic kidney disease (DKD) occurs in 50-70% of youth with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and confers high lifetime risk of dialysis and premature death. Youth-onset T2D typically manifests during or shortly after puberty in adolescents with obesity. Epidemiological data implicate puberty as an accelerator of kidney disease in youth with obesity and diabetes and the investigators posit that the link between puberty and T2D-onset may explain the high burden of DKD in youth-onset T2D. A better understanding of the impact of puberty on kidney health is needed to promote preservation of native kidney function, especially in youth with T2D.
Background: - The body produces gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) about every 2 hours. GnRH travels through the bloodstream to the pituitary gland, where it stimulates the gland to produce hormones called gonadotropins. These hormones stimulate the testicles or ovaries. The testicles produce testosterone and develop sperm. The ovaries produce estrogen and prepare for ovulation. Normal estrogen and testosterone levels are required for puberty. Some people, however, have either low levels or total lack of GnRH. This can cause problems with puberty and fertility. Researchers want to study people with low or no GnRH to better understand how it affects puberty and fertility. Objectives: - To study disorders of GnRH production. Eligibility: * Adult men and women at least 18 years of age with low or no gonadotropin levels. * Adolescents between 14 and 18 years of age with low or no gonadotropin levels. Design: * Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history. Blood and urine samples will be collected. * Participants will have tests to look at their hormone levels. Blood samples may be collected after taking different drugs, including insulin and cortisone. A 24-hour urine sample will be collected. * Participants will have imaging studies to look at bone and brain development. They will also have ultrasounds of the kidneys, abdomen, and reproductive organs. * Tests of smell and hearing will be used to look for abnormalities in these senses.
Background: - During puberty, children begin to develop into adults. Problems with the hormones released during puberty can affect the reproductive system. Some people have low hormone levels that severely delay or prevent puberty. Others start puberty abnormally early. Other people may have a normal puberty but develop reproductive disorders later in life. Researchers want to study people with reproductive disorders to learn more about how these disorders may be inherited. Objectives: - To learn how reproductive system disorders may be inherited. Eligibility: * People with one of the following problems: * Abnormally early puberty * Abnormally late or no puberty * Normal puberty with hormonal problems that develop later in life * People who have not yet had puberty but have symptoms that indicate low hormone levels. Design: * Participants will provide a blood sample for testing. They will complete a questionnaire about their symptoms. They will also have a scratch-and-sniff test to study any problems with their ability to smell. * Participant medical records will be reviewed. Participants will also provide a family medical history. * Family members of those in the study may be invited to participate. * Treatment will not be provided as part of this study.
The aims of this study are: 1) to identify genes that play a role in human pubertal development and reproduction, 2) to characterize the phenotypic spectrum of patients with these gene defects, and 3) to discern the mode of inheritance for disorders caused by these gene defects. We are specifically interested in genes that cause Kallmann syndrome, idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH), precocious (early) puberty, and delayed puberty. Individuals do not have to travel to Boston to participate in this study.
The purpose of this study is to use brain imaging technology to compare how the brains of adolescents and adults are activated during tasks that involve emotional responses. Evidence suggests that adolescents and adults experience activation in similar brain regions when they engage in tasks that involve the processing of emotional stimuli. However, the degree of task-associated activation may differ between adolescents and adults. This study will use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to compare brain activation patterns in adolescents and adults. This study will also be used to develop emotion-evoking fMRI tasks to determine whether there are puberty and age-linked components of brain development.
Background: Endocrine disorders occur when the glands that make hormones do not work properly. Hormones levels that are too high or too low can cause problems such as late or early puberty, irregular periods, and infertility. Environmental factors - including pollution; chemical exposure at home and work; foods; medicines; and sleep habits - may cause problems with the endocrine and reproductive systems. Objective: To learn how environmental factors may affect the endocrine and reproductive systems. Eligibility: Males or females, referring to sex assigned at birth, aged 8 years and older; they must have hypogonadism, infertility, or other reproductive disorders. Design: Adult participants will have 4 to 5 visits in 5 years. Children may have up to 12 visits; they may remain in the study up to the age of 23. Most visits will be less than 3 hours. Participants will be screened. They will have a physical exam. They will have blood and urine tests. They will complete questionnaires; they will answer questions about their diet, health, and other topics. Some may be referred for additional tests, such as imaging scans and semen analysis. Specific tests conducted during study visits will vary, depending on the participant s diagnosis. In addition to repeated blood and urine tests, these may include: Body composition measure: Participants will sit in a pod-shaped machine for about 6 minutes. The machines measures the air inside the capsule to record body fat and breathing volume. Resting energy expenditure test: Participants will lie down with a clear dome placed over their head. They will breathe quietly for 30 minutes. This test measures the number of calories their body burns at rest. ...
This study is designed to determine whether there is a relationship between the way insulin and blood vessels work. The difference in the interaction between Caucasian and African American adolescents will also be examined. This may play a role in the differing rates of heart disease and diabetes between the two groups.
The purpose of the study is to find out if patients with constitutional delay of growth have a mismatch between energy intake and utilization (as measured by doubly labeled water) and to compare the improvement in growth and energy balance between a group of boys treated with growth hormone (GH) alone versus those given GH plus added nutritional supplements for one year.
OBJECTIVES: I. Evaluate the sleep-entrained patterns of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and sex steroid secretion in normal and hypogonadal children. II. Examine the acute effects of sex steroids on the sleep-entrained patterns of GnRH secretion in pubertal children and normal adults, either by stimulation of endogenous production with pulsatile injection or by intravenous infusion of GnRH. III. Examine the role of endogenous opioids by means of opioid receptor blockade in the sex steroid regulation of GnRH secretion in pubertal children and normal adults.