Tanriverdi F et al. (2006) Investigation of the skin characteristics in patients with severe GH deficiency and the effects of 6 months of GH replacement therapy: a randomized placebo controlled study. Clin Endocrinol 65: 579–585

One of the symptoms of Sheehan's syndrome (postpartum hypopituitarism) is severe growth-hormone deficiency (GHD). Growth-hormone receptors are present in human skin and, therefore, Tanriverdi and colleagues investigated whether GHD itself, and treatment for GHD—6-months of growth-hormone replacement therapy—had any effect on skin characteristics in patients with Sheehan's syndrome.

The study involved 16 women with Sheehan's syndrome who had severe GHD, and 20 healthy control women of similar age and menopausal status. Patients with GHD were treated with either recombinant growth hormone (10 patients) or placebo (6 patients) for 6 months. Growth hormone was self-administered at an initial once-nightly dose of 0.45 IU for 1 month, followed by once-nightly doses of 0.9 IU during the subsequent month and 1.5–1.8 IU during the next 4 months.

At baseline, sebum content and skin hydration on the forehead and hydration on the forearm were lower in patients with GHD than in controls. After 6 months of growth-hormone treatment, only sebum content on patients' foreheads had increased significantly (P <0.05). In the placebo-treated group, no skin changes were observed.

The authors conclude that this is the first demonstration of the effects of GHD and growth-hormone replacement therapy on the skin by noninvasive, objective methods. Their results imply that growth hormone might have a modulatory role on some skin characteristics.