title: Growth hormone response to exercise in asthmatic and normal children.
abstract: Maximal growth hormone (GH) increments following exercise were compared in asthmatic (n = 14) and normal (n = 8) children. Exercise, which consisted of 6 min ergometer cycling while breathing cold dry (CD) air, induced asthma in all asthmatic patients but not in normal subjects. Baseline plasma GH levels were similar in both groups. Following exercise, however, asthmatic patients had significantly higher mean GH increments than normal subjects (14.8 vs 4.9 ng/ml, P less than 0.025). To evaluate the possible role of bronchoconstriction in the GH response all subjects exercised again, this time while breathing warm humid (WH) air. Despite the absence of exercise-induced asthma (EIA) while breathing WH air, asthmatic patients still had significantly higher mean GH increments than normal subjects (9.2 vs 2.3 ng/ml, P less than 0.05). We conclude that some asthmatic children show excessive GH secretion after exercise regardless of inspired air conditions or the development of EIA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, J. G. Strijdom Hospital, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Amirav
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Dowdeswell
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Plit
authors.forename: V R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Panz
authors.forename: B I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Joffe
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Seftel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000388:Air; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood*; D001250:Asthma, Exercise-Induced / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D013006:Growth Hormone