Serum DLK1 During Minipuberty and Pubertal Transition in Healthy Girls and in Girls With Precocious Puberty
Authors' conclusion
Circulating DLK1 levels declined steeply during infancy and were less pronounced through pubertal development. Due to considerable interindividual variation, DLK1 is not useful as a diagnostic marker of pubertal onset. Importantly, DLK1 was negatively associated with birth weight and body fat percentage.
Study context
- Population
- Healthy infant girls, healthy peripubertal girls and girls with central precocious puberty (CPP) treated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa)
- Participants
- 85 / 15 / 15
- Exposure
- Healthy infant girls vs Healthy peripubertal girls vs CPP
- Healthy infant girlsn = 85
- Healthy peripubertal girlsn = 15
- CPPn = 15
- Outcome
- Longitudinal changes in circulating DLK1 concentrations (ELISA)
Methodological detailsthree longitudinal studies, Body fat percentage calculated using the Slaughter equation
- Three longitudinal studies
- Body fat percentage calculated using the Slaughter equation
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Serum DLK1
- Healthy infant girls: DLK1 declined through first year of life
- 17.6 to 9.9 ng/mL, P = .020
- Healthy infant girls: DLK1 inversely correlated with birth weight
- r = −0.220, P = .044
- Healthy infant girls: DLK1 inversely correlated with BF%
- r = −0.503, P < .001
- Healthy peripubertal girls: DLK1 declined from 1 year before pubertal onset to first examination after onset
- 10.4 to 9.2 ng/mL, P = .004
- Healthy peripubertal girls: DLK1 declined from 1 year before pubertal onset to last pubertal evaluation
- 10.4 to 9.8 ng/mL, P = .006
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Original publication
Serum DLK1 During Minipuberty and Pubertal Transition in Healthy Girls and in Girls With Precocious Puberty. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. Published 28 October 2024. doi:10.
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