Abstract
A comparative study of spontaneous nocturnal GH secretion during sleep of short children was measured (heights below the 3rd percentike and/or height velocities below the 25th percentile for age). They had different responses to a pharmacologic stimuli test.
GH levels were measured in sera samples that were drawn every 30 minutes during 12 hours in a group of 14 children, aged 3.3-15.1 years (9 girls and 5 boys). To determine GH levels we used polyclonal RIA. The maximal responses in GH stimulated levels allowed us to classify the sample in three groups; lower than 7 ng/ml, between 7-10 ng/ml, and higher than 10 ng/ml.
The maximal response in GH stimulated levels did not exceed 10 ng/ml in 64.3% of the cases:meanwhile, in the spontaneous pooled sera this was below 3 ng/ml in 64.2% of the sample. The profile of nocturnal samplings of spontaneous GH secretions showed three significant peaks in decreasing order, between the hours 1-1.30 (p<0.09), 4-4.30 hs (p < 0.06), 6.30-7 hs (p < 0.017). The mean values of spontaneous GH concentration in children with stimulated GH responses < to 7 ng/ml were lower than those responses > to 7 ng/ml. An acute test with, GRF(1-29), (1.5 ug/Kg,IV) was performed in 10 patients, 7 of whan exceeded 10ng/ml in GH levels.
In conclusion,the measurement of GH spontaneous secretion contributed to identify those children with low endogenous secretion.
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Miras, M., Muñoz, L., Kaplan, R. et al. 24 GROWTH HORMONE'S LEVELS OF SPONTANEOUS NOCTURNAL SECRETION IN SHORT STATURE CHILDREN. Pediatr Res 36, 676 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199411000-00048
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199411000-00048