Evaluation of acromegaly by measurement of 24-hourly urinary growth hormone excretion

1993 ◽  
Vol 128 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryse Pholséna ◽  
Yves Le Bouc ◽  
Elisabeth Rousseau ◽  
Rémy Christol ◽  
Pascal Birman ◽  
...  

Twenty-four hourly urinary growth hormone excretion (24-h uGH) has been quantified using a combination of ultrafiltration and conventional immunoradiometric assay. Twenty-four hourly uGH was measured in 20 normal adults and in 42 patients with acromegaly (9 untreated, 28 treated but with above-normal IGF-I levels, and 5 treated and cured). The means and ranges were as follows: 3.7 (1–9) ng/24 h for normals and 160(40–540), 66(2–380) and 5.2 (4–8) ng/24 h for the three groups of acromegalic patients, respectively. Ten patients with pituitary adenomas without acromegaly had 24-h uGH within the normal range. Twenty-four hourly uGH therefore gives a clear differentiation between controls and untreated patients. Log-transformed values for subjects with acromegaly showed significant correlations between 24-h uGH and levels of IGF-I (r=0.63, p<0.01), fasting plasma GH (r=0.92, p<0.001) and plasma GH after glucose loading (r=0.85, p<0.001). Twenty-four hourly uGH was also determined in three acromegalic patients before and during SMS 201–995 therapy. Twenty-four hourly uGH reflected the corresponding changes in mean levels for hourly sampling over 12 h of plasma GH and IGF-I and in clinical signs after 3–6 months of therapy. The results of this study indicate that 24-h uGH is an accurate indicator of GH secretion in acromegalic patients and could therefore be used both in diagnosis and in monitoring the progress of therapy in these patients.

1995 ◽  
Vol 144 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Magnan ◽  
L Mazzocchi ◽  
M Cataldi ◽  
V Guillaume ◽  
A Dutour ◽  
...  

Abstract The physiological role of endogenous circulating GHreleasing hormone (GHRH) and somatostatin (SRIH) on spontaneous pulsatile and neostigmine-induced secretion of GH was investigated in adult rams actively immunized against each neuropeptide. All animals developed antibodies at concentrations sufficient for immunoneutralization of GHRH and SRIH levels in hypophysial portal blood. In the anti GHRH group, plasma GH levels were very low; the amplitude of GH pulses was strikingly reduced, although their number was unchanged. No stimulation of GH release was observed after neostigmine administration. The reduction of GH secretion was associated with a decreased body weight and a significant reduction in plasma IGF-I concentration. In the antiSRIH group, no changes in basal and pulsatile GH secretion or the GH response to neostigmine were observed as compared to controls. Body weight was not significantly altered and plasma IGF-I levels were reduced in these animals. These results suggest that in sheep, circulating SRIH (in the systemic and hypophysial portal vasculature) does not play a significant role in pulsatile and neostigmine-induced secretion of GH. The mechanisms of its influence on body weight and production of IGF-I remain to be determined. Journal of Endocrinology (1995) 144, 83–90


2010 ◽  
Vol 108 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stacy R. Oliver ◽  
Jaime S. Rosa ◽  
Timothy D. C. Minh ◽  
Andria M. Pontello ◽  
Rebecca L. Flores ◽  
...  

In children, exercise modulates systemic anabolism, muscle growth, and overall physiological development through the growth hormone (GH)-insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) axis. GH secretion, at rest and during exercise, changes with age and maturational status and can be blunted by hyperlipidemia and obesity, with possible negative effects on physiological growth. However, little is known about the effect of progressively more severe pediatric obesity on the GH response to exercise and its relationship to pubertal status. We therefore studied 48 early- or late-pubertal obese children [body mass index (BMI) >95th percentile, separated in tertiles with progressively greater BMI] and 42 matched controls (BMI <85th percentile), who performed ten 2-min cycling bouts at ∼80% of maximal O2 consumption, separated by 1-min rest intervals. Plasma GH and IGF-I were measured at baseline and end exercise. GH responses were systematically blunted in obese children, with more pronounced blunting paralleling increasing BMI. Although overall the GH response to exercise was greater in late-pubertal than in younger children, this blunting pattern was observed in early- and late-pubertal children. Our results reveal insight into the interaction between pediatric obesity and key modulators of physiological growth and development and underscore the necessity of optimizing physical activity strategies for specific pediatric dysmetabolic conditions.


1989 ◽  
Vol 121 (2) ◽  
pp. 290-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Izumi Sukegawa ◽  
Naomi Hizuka ◽  
Kazue Takano ◽  
Kumiko Asakawa ◽  
Reiko Horikawa ◽  
...  

Abstract. Nocturnal urinary growth hormone values were measured by a sensitive enzyme immunoassay in normal adults, patients with GH deficiency, patients with Turner's syndrome, normal but short children who had normal plasma GH responses to provocative tests, and patients with acromegaly. The mean nocturnal urinary GH values in patients with acromegaly were significantly greater than those in normal adults (1582.3 ± 579.8 vs 53.5 ± 8.6 pmol/mmol creatinine (± sem); p < 0.05). In the normal but short children and patients with Turner's syndrome, the mean nocturnal urinary GH values were 83.1 ± 5.2 and 79.8 ± 29.5 pmol/mmol creatinine, respectively. In patients with GH deficiency, the nocturnal urinary GH values were undetectable (< 5.3 pmol/mmol creatinine) except in one patient where the value was 6.3 pmol/mmol creatinine. The nocturnal urinary GH values of the patients with GH deficiency were significantly lower than those of the other groups (p < 0.05). In normal but short children, the nocturnal urinary GH values correlated significantly with mean plasma nocturnal GH concentrations (r = 0.76, p < 0.001), and 24-hour urinary GH values (r = 0.84, p < 0.001), respectively. In 4 patients with GH deficiency who had circulating anti-hGH antibody, the urinary GH values were also undectable. These data indicate that nocturnal urinary GH value reflects endogenous GH secretion during collection time, and that measurement of the nocturnal urinary GH values is a useful method for screening of patients with GH deficiency and acromegaly.


1987 ◽  
Vol 116 (2) ◽  
pp. 305-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael B. Ranke ◽  
Werner F. Blum ◽  
Frank Haug ◽  
Werner Rosendahl ◽  
Andrea Attanasio ◽  
...  

Abstract. In a total of 56 children and adolescents with Turner's syndrome (41 with karyotype 45,X) basal serum levels of somatomedin bioactivity, Sm-C/IGF-I (RIA), IGF II (RIA), GH response to arginine and GHRH (GRF(1-29)NH2), and spontaneous GH secretion during 5.5 h of deep sleep were determined in a cross-sectional manner. GH responses to GRF and arginine as well as IGF-II levels were found to be in the normal range. Levels of somatomedin bioactivity were higher than normal before a bone age of 10 years, in the low-normal range thereafter, and below normal in some patients. Levels of Sm-C/IGF-I were found normal before and low-normal after a bone age of ten years. There was a trend towards increasing Sm-C/IGF-I levels with age. In contrast to the normal pattern, spontaneous sleep-related GH secretion was declining with age and did not show the puberty-associated rise. These findings suggest a normally functioning growth hormone-somatomedin axis in Turner's syndrome with alterations of its functioning level occurring secondarily as a result of absent gonadal activation. In single patients abnormally low growth hormone and/or somatomedin secretion may be present.


1994 ◽  
Vol 131 (6) ◽  
pp. 598-601 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaime Pineda ◽  
Pedro Martul ◽  
Felipe F Casanueva ◽  
Carlos Dieguez ◽  
Itxaso Rica ◽  
...  

Pineda J, Martul P, Casanueva FF, Dieguez C, Rica I, Loridan L. Oral dexamethasone administration: new pharmacological test for the assessment of growth hormone secretion. Eur J Endocrinol 1994;131:598–601. ISSN 0804–4643 Acute intravenous (iv) dexamethasone administration has been described recently as a new test for the diagnosis of growth hormone (GH) deficiency. In the present study, a new protocol of dexamethasone administration was evaluated. Twelve normal adults and 18 normal prepubertal children were studied. The dexamethasone iv test was performed in six adults at a dose of 4 mg and 12 children at a dose of 2 mg/m2. Blood samples were collected 15 min before, at time zero and every 15 or 30 min during 5 h, resulting in a total of 16 samples. In the remaining six adults and six children, 8 and 4 mg, respectively, of dexamethasone were administered orally at the subject's home, and blood sampling started 90 min later when they arrived at the hospital. Plasma GH was measured by radioimmunassay. The dexamethasone-induced GH response (mean ± sem, μg/1) to the iv or oral protocol did not differ in either the adults (iv 8.2 ± 2.1; oral 8.0 ± 1.6) or the children (iv 14.9 ± 1.3; oral 13.6 ± 1.8). It is concluded that the simpler protocol of acute oral dexamethasone administration hereby presented can be a safe and suitable test of GH secretion. J Pineda, Sección de Endocrinologia Pediátrica, Hospital de Cruces, 48903 Baracaldo (Vizcaya), Spain


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Jan M. Wit ◽  
Sjoerd D. Joustra ◽  
Monique Losekoot ◽  
Hermine A. van Duyvenvoorde ◽  
Christiaan de Bruin

The current differential diagnosis for a short child with low insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and a normal growth hormone (GH) peak in a GH stimulation test (GHST), after exclusion of acquired causes, includes the following disorders: (1) a decreased spontaneous GH secretion in contrast to a normal stimulated GH peak (“GH neurosecretory dysfunction,” GHND) and (2) genetic conditions with a normal GH sensitivity (e.g., pathogenic variants of <i>GH1</i> or <i>GHSR</i>) and (3) GH insensitivity (GHI). We present a critical appraisal of the concept of GHND and the role of 12- or 24-h GH profiles in the selection of children for GH treatment. The mean 24-h GH concentration in healthy children overlaps with that in those with GH deficiency, indicating that the previously proposed cutoff limit (3.0–3.2 μg/L) is too high. The main advantage of performing a GH profile is that it prevents about 20% of false-positive test results of the GHST, while it also detects a low spontaneous GH secretion in children who would be considered GH sufficient based on a stimulation test. However, due to a considerable burden for patients and the health budget, GH profiles are only used in few centres. Regarding genetic causes, there is good evidence of the existence of Kowarski syndrome (due to <i>GH1</i> variants) but less on the role of <i>GHSR</i> variants. Several genetic causes of (partial) GHI are known (<i>GHR</i>, <i>STAT5B</i>, <i>STAT3</i>, <i>IGF1</i>, <i>IGFALS</i> defects, and Noonan and 3M syndromes), some responding positively to GH therapy. In the final section, we speculate on hypothetical causes.


1990 ◽  
Vol 122 (6) ◽  
pp. 745-752 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Pagesy ◽  
Jacques Y. Li ◽  
Françoise Rentier-Delrue ◽  
Olivier Delalande ◽  
Yves Le Bouc ◽  
...  

Abstract. Some patients with active acromegaly have elevated plasma IGF-I concentrations with only minimal elevation of plasma GH. We compared adenomatous GH and SRIH expression in 3 such patients (patients No. 1, 2 and 3; basal plasma GH level < 4 μg/l) and in 3 acromegalic patients with high basal plasma GH level (patients No. 4, 5 and 6; 51.7 ± 16.1 μg/l, mean ± sem). By immunocytochemistry, all the tumours proved to be somatotropic adenomas. At the ultrastructural level, signs of low secretory activity were observed in adenomas from patients No. 2 and 3. Perifused adenoma cells of patients No. 1, 2 and 3 released very little GH compared with those of patients No. 4, 5 and 6 (1± 0.37 vs 51.5± 34.1 μg · (10−6 cells) · min−1, p< 0.001). Adenoma SRIH content was 65.7 and 30.6 pg/mg proteins in patients No. 1 and 2, whereas it was undetectable in the others (patients No. 4, 5 and 6). Northern blot analysis showed that the GH gene was poorly expressed in the adenomas from patients No. 1, 2 and 3 compared with the adenomas from patients No. 4, 5 and 6. SRIH mRNA was detected in all 6 adenomas. However, the signal was more intense in the adenomas from patients No. 1, 2 and 3 than in those from patients No. 4, 5 and 6. In conclusion, because of the variability of the biosynthetic and secretory potential of the somatotropic adenomas, patients harbouring this type of pituitary tumours can exhibit a wide range of plasma GH levels. In acromegaly with minimal elevation of plasma GH, the synthesis of SRIH by the adenoma cells themselves could play a role in the inhibition of GH expression.


1993 ◽  
Vol 128 (3) ◽  
pp. 197-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria N Moreira-Andrés ◽  
Francisco J Cañizo ◽  
Federico Hawkins

The evaluation of growth hormone (GH) secretion is an important problem in pediatric endocrine practice. The diagnosis of GH insufficiency is based on the finding of a "blunted" GH response to GH provocative tests or on the demonstration of a decreased endogenous secretion. From a practical point of view, these methods are uncomfortable, expensive and time consuming. Recently, very sensitive specific assays to measure human GH in urine have been developed. We present a discussion of available data on these tests in order to estimate their role in the evaluation of a short or slowly growing child. The present available assays allow measuring very low levels of GH in a small sample of untreated urine. The main limitations of urinary GH measurement are the intrasubject variability, wide normal range, overlapping results in several GH secretory states and lack of information on GH pulsatility. However, most of these limitations also apply to other tests of GH secretion. The advantage of urinary GH tests is that they provide, in an easy procedure, information on serum GH concentration. There is good correlation between urinary and serum GH concentration and several findings suggest that urinary GH excretion reflects changes in plasma GH levels during the period of urine collection. Therefore, the usefulness of urinary GH measurement is that of a simpler and cheaper screening method for assessing integrated serum GH concentration in clinical practice.


1991 ◽  
Vol 124 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroshi Bando ◽  
Chenyu Zhang ◽  
Yukinobu Takada ◽  
Ryuichi Yamasaki ◽  
Shiro Saito

Abstract. The GHRH test and L-dopa test were performed in 12 normal young men (24.1 ± 1.1 years) and 12 normal elderly men (77.8±1.4 years) to investigate age-related changes in secretion of GHRH, GH and IGF-I. The basal plasma levels of GHRH and GH were not significantly different in young and elderly men, but the basal plasma level of IGF-I was higher in the young men (159.0± 11.7 vs 86.7± 11.6 μg/1). The area under the curve for plasma GH in the GHRH test was less in the elderly group (35.1 ±5.9 vs 11.2 ± 2.1 μg · h−1 · 1−1, p<0.001). The AUCs for the plasma GHRH and GH responses in the L-dopa test in young and elderly men were 32.0±2.7 vs 20.3±1.8 ng · h−1 · 1−1 (p<0.001), and 21.8±4.6 vs 5.4±1.1 μg · h−1 · 1 (p<0.01), respectively, indicating decreased releases of GHRH and GH in the elderly. Correlations between the AUCs for plasma GHRH and GH responses in L-dopa were found in both groups, but the ratio of the AUCs for GH/GHRH was lower in the elderly group. The elderly group showed a significant correlation between the basal plasma IGF-I level and the AUCs for plasma GH in the GHRH and L-dopa tests. These results suggest that elderly men have a decreased reserve of hypothalamic GHRH, resulting in secondarily impaired GH release, which may lead to a lower level of IGF-I than in young men.


1996 ◽  
Vol 135 (4) ◽  
pp. 481-488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Torsello ◽  
Roberta Grilli ◽  
Marina Luoni ◽  
Margherita Guidi ◽  
Maria Cristina Ghigo ◽  
...  

Torsello A, Grilli R, Luoni M, Guidi M, Ghigo MC, Wehrenberg WB, Deghenghi R, Müller EE, Locatelli V. Mechanism of action of Hexarelin. I. Growth hormone-releasing activity in the rat. Eur J Endocrinol 1996;135:481–8. ISSN 0804–4643 We have reported Hexarelin (HEXA), an analog of growth hormone-releasing peptide 6 (GHRP-6), potently stimulates growth hormone (GH) secretion in infant and adult rats. This study was undertaken to further investigate Hexarelin's mechanisms of action. In 10-day-old pups, treatments with HEXA (80 μg/kg, b.i.d.) for 3–10 days significantly enhanced, in a time-related fashion, the GH response to an acute HEXA challenge. Qualitatively similar effects were elicited in pups passively immunized against growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) from birth. In adult male rats, a 5-day pretreatment with HEXA (150 μg/kg, b.i.d.) did not enhance the effect of the acute challenge, and the same pattern was present after a 5-day pretreatment in male rats with surgical ablation of the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH-ablated rats). In addition, in adult sham-operated rats, Hexarelin (300 μg/kg, iv) induced a GH response greater (p < 0.05) than that induced by GHRH (2 μg/kg, iv). However, in MBH-ablated rats 7 days after surgery, GHRH was significantly (p < 0.05) more effective than HEXA, and 30 days after surgery HEXA and GHRH evoked similar rises of plasma GH. Finally, the in vitro Hexarelin (10−6 mol/l) effect was transient while GHRH (10−8 mol/l) induced a longer lasting and greater GH release. Three different mechanisms, not mutually exclusive, are postulated for Hexarelin stimulation of GH secretion in vivo: a direct action on the pituitary, though of minor relevance; an indirect action that involves release of GHRH, of relevance only in adult rats; and an action through the release of a still unknown hypothalamic "factor", which in infant and adult rats elicits GH release acting sinergistically with GHRH. Antonio Torsello, Department of Pharmacology, via Vanvitelli 32, 20129 Milano, Italy


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