Selective impairment of growth hormone response to physiological stimuli.
In a consecutive group of 25 children with defective growth being evaluated for growth hormone deficiency, EEG-monitored slow-wave sleep provided discriminatory serum growth hormone responses equivalent to those obtained by arginine and insulin-hypoglycaemia provocation. Exercise was less effective but was able to provide a useful screening test. In 2 subjects with abnormal physiological but normal pharmacological serum growth hormone responses, therapeutic administration of growth hormone in one resulted in a significant growth increment, whereas in the other, advanced epiphyseal maturity precluded adequate evaluation. A normal growth hormone response to a pharmacological stimulus does not exclude a therapeutic response to human growth hormone.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001120:Arginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001827:Body Height; D002404:Catheterization; D002648:Child; D004392:Dwarfism / Q000503:physiopathology; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000139:chemically induced; D007328:Insulin / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D005082:Physical Exertion; D012890:Sleep
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D013006:Growth Hormone; D001120:Arginine; D006854:Hydrocortisone