The value of urinary gonadotropins in the diagnosis of central precocious puberty: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: The gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulation test is time-consuming, invasive, and costly. However, it is the diagnostic gold standard for central precocious puberty (CPP), which in girls is defined as the onset of secondary sexual characteristics before the age of 8 years accompanied by breast buds, accelerated growth, and advanced bone age. This meta-analysis was performed to compare the diagnostic value of urinary gonadotropins and the GnRH stimulation test for CPP. METHODS: We searched six databases for relevant literature. In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, we estimated the sensitivity, specificity, area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), and publication bias. RESULTS: Six eligible trials fulfilled the inclusion criteria. In the meta-analysis of urinary luteinizing hormone (ULH), after excluding the data of one study, we obtained an AUC of 0.90 (sensitivity = 0.81, specificity = 0.85). The meta-analysis of the ULH to urinary follicle-stimulating hormone (UFSH) ratio revealed an AUC of 0.8116 (sensitivity = 0.79, specificity = 0.84). CONCLUSION: Both the ULH level and ULH:UFSH ratio are effective and available approaches for CPP diagnosis. TRIAL REGISTRATION: INPLASY 2021120076. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12887-022-03481-1.