title: Subcutaneous degradation of biosynthetic human growth hormone in growth hormone deficient patients.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to look further into the question of local degradation of sc injected human GH in GH deficient patients. A comparison was made of serum GH levels after constant iv and sc infusion of the same amount of GH (33 ng.kg-1.min-1) in the same 9 GH deficient patients. A 3-h lag period was interposed between the iv and the sc infusion. Iv infusion was continued for 3 h. All 9 subjects subsequently received sc infusion for 19 h and five of them continued for additionally 24 h. The mean steady state serum GH level in the nine patients was 23.1 +/- 5.1 micrograms/l after iv and 6.8 +/- micrograms/l after sc administration (P less than 0.01). Extension of the sc infusion period in 4 of the subjects did not significantly alter the serum GH level (P less than 0.15), implying that a steady state was reached. The GH in the infusion system was stable throughout a 24-h period. We therefore conclude that sc injected GH is degraded locally to a substantial extent.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental Clinical Research, Aarhus University, Denmark.
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Jørgensen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Flyvbjerg
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lauritzen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Orskov
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Christiansen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood* / Q000172:deficiency; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D013006:Growth Hormone