title: Secretion of growth hormone in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.
abstract: Decreased serum levels of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) are common in patients with fibromyalgia, which is frequently associated with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Twenty patients with CFS (7 men, 13 women; age range, 30-60 years) and age- and sex-matched controls were tested for peak GH responses to insulin-induced hypoglycaemia and arginine administration. Nocturnal secretion of GH and serum levels of IGF-I were also measured. Serum IGF-I SDS (+/- SD) was significantly lower in patients with CFS than in controls (SDS, -0.39 +/- 1.07 vs 0.33 +/- 0.84; P = 0.02). Patients with CFS also tended to have reduced nocturnal secretion of GH (area under the curve, 32.4 +/- 18.3 vs 62.7 +/- 43.7 microg/l/15 minutes; P= 0.06), but peak GH responses to insulin-induced hypoglycaemia and arginine administration did not differ significantly between the two groups. It is not clear whether the tendency for impaired spontaneous nocturnal GH secretion in patients with CFS is a cause or an effect of the condition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Middelheim Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Berwaerts
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Moorkens
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abs
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001120:Arginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000139:chemically induced; D007328:Insulin / Q000494:pharmacology; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D001120:Arginine