Abstract
Daytime (0.800H-20.30H) growth hormone (GH) secretion was studied in 24 children (18 boys, 6 girls, of mean age 12 years 6 months ± 3 years 6 months) with short stature (m=3.5± 1.3 SD), and was compared with GH secretion during sleep using a polygraphic monitoring (EEG, EMG, EOG). The results of pharmacological tests allow two groups to be distinguished: 1) A first group (n=12) of normal responders (peak > 10ng/ml): the study of daytime secretion clearly demonstrates spontaneous pulses (m=1.4) of mean duration 70minutes. The mean of these peaks is 20.5±7,8 ng/ml.The study of GH secretion during sleep was carried out in six cases and is inagreement with the daytime secretion. 2) A second group (n=12) of partial deficiencies (peak<10ng/ml after two pharmacological tests): the study of daytime GH secretion revealed only one case of a peak >10 ng/ml. The study of GH secretion during sleep, carried out on all cases, showed a response<10ng/ml in 4 cases and a response > 10ng/ml in 8 cases. In this group, therefore, a discordance exists in 7 out of 8 cases: low response of daily secretion and normal response during sleep. These results allow us to demonstrate the existence of spontaneous secretion of GH during the daytime as well as the absence of concordance between this result and GH secretion during sleep in partial GH deficiencies.There is also in this group an extremely high percentage of false negatives (bad responders for daytime GH secretion).
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Rochiccioli, P., Sanz, M., Calvet, U. et al. Comparison of spontaneous GH secretion during daytime and during sleep in children with short stature. Pediatr Res 18, 1216 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198411000-00091
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198411000-00091