title: Impairment of GH secretion in adults with primary empty sella.
abstract: Primary empty sella (PES) is generally not associated with overt endocrine abnormalities, although mild hyperprolactinemia and, in children, deficient GH secretion have been reported. The aim of this multi-center collaborative study was to evaluate basal and stimulated GH secretion in a large series of adult PES patients. The study group consisted of 51 patients [41 women and 10 men, age range: 20-78 yr; (mean+/-SD) 47+/-11 yr]; results were compared with those in normal subjects (Ns) (Ns: no.=110, 55 women, age: 20-50 yr, 37+/-14 yr), and in hypopituitaric patients (HYP) with GH deficiency (HYP: no.=44,17 women, age: 20-72, 49+/-16 yr). Baseline IGF-I levels and GH responses to insulin-induced hypoglycemia (insulin tolerance test, ITT) and/or GHRH+arginine (ARG) stimulation tests were evaluated. PES patients were also subdivided according to BMI in lean (BMI <28 kg/M2 no.=22) or obese (BMI >28 kg/m2 no.=29). PES patients had serum total IGF-I concentrations (mean+/-SE: 142.2+/-9.6 ng/ml) higher than HYP patients (77.4+/-6.4 ng/ml, p<0.001), but lower than Ns (213.3+/-17.2 ng/ml, p<0.005), with no differences between lean and obese PES subjects. The increase in serum GH concentrations following ITT and/or GHRH+ARG stimulation tests, although higher than that observed in HYP patients, was markedly reduced with respect to Ns. No difference was observed in the GH response to provocative tests between lean and obese PES patients. When individual GH responses to ITT or GHRH+ARG were taken into account, a large proportion of PES patients (52% after ITT, 61% after GHRH+ARG) showed a GH peak increase below the 1st centile of normal limits. Serum IGF-I levels in PES patients with blunted GH responses to provocative tests were significantly (p<0.001) lower in PES patients with normal GH responses, and a positive correlation was observed between IGF-I levels and serum GH peak concentrations after GHRH+ARG. In conclusion, the results of the present study provide evidence that adult PES patients often have an impairment of GH secretion, as indicated by the blunted GH response to ITT and GHRH+ARG provocative tests, and by the reduction in serum IGF-I levels. These changes are independent of body mass.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, University of Pisa, Italy. mgasperi@endoc.med.unipi.it
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gasperi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aimaretti
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cecconi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colao
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Somma
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cannavò
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baffoni
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cosottini
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Curtò
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Trimarchi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lombardi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grasso
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ghigo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001120:Arginine; D004652:Empty Sella Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism; D007018:Hypopituitarism / Q000378:metabolism; D007328:Insulin; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D012016:Reference Values; D013851:Thinness
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone; D001120:Arginine