Investigation of the skin characteristics in patients with severe GH deficiency and the effects of 6 months of GH replacement therapy: a randomized placebo controlled study.
OBJECTIVE
The presence of GH receptor in human skin and its appendages suggests a direct effect of GH on skin characteristics. The skin is usually thin and dry in patients with GH deficiency (GHD). Sheehan's syndrome classically refers to postpartum hypopituitarism and GH is one of the earliest pituitary hormones lost. While severe GHD is a well-established feature of Sheehan's Syndrome, skin characteristics and the effects of GH replacement therapy (GHRT) have been investigated neither in Sheehan's syndrome nor in other disorders of GHD. The aim of this study was to investigate the skin characteristics, including the sebum content, hydration (skin capacitance), transepidermal water loss (TEWL), pH and skin temperature, and particularly the effects of 6 months of GHRT on these parameters in GH deficient patients with Sheehan's syndrome.


METHODS
Sixteen severely GH deficient women with Sheehan's syndrome (48.1 +/- 10.9 years), and 20 age and menopausal status similar women as control subjects were included. Ten patients received recombinant GH for 6 months (treatment group) and 6 patients received placebo (placebo group) during this period. Skin properties were measured at baseline and after 6 months of GHRT using noninvasive and well-established measuring methods.


RESULTS
At baseline the skin capacitance was significantly decreased on the forehead and forearm, and sebum content was significantly decreased on forehead in patients with Sheehan's syndrome compared to control subjects (P < 0.05). In the treatment group there was a significant increase in sebum content on forehead after 6 months of GHRT compared to the baseline value (P < 0.05). However there were no significant changes in other parameters including sebum content on the forearm, TEWL, Ph, skin capacitance and temperature of both the forearm and forehead. In the placebo group there were no changes in any of the evaluated parameters after 6 months of treatment compared to baseline values.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study clearly shows that the sebum content on the forehead and skin hydration of the forehead and forearm are significantly decreased in GH deficient patients with Sheehan's syndrome. However 6 months of GHRT significantly increased only the sebum content on the forehead. These data suggest that GH and/or IGF-I may have a modulatory role on several skin characteristics.
Tanriverdi
Fatih
F
Department of Endocrinology, Erciyes University Medical School, Kayseri, Turkey.
Borlu
Murat
M
Atmaca
Hulusi
H
Koc
Cagdas Atasavun
CA
Unluhizarci
Kursad
K
Utas
Serap
S
Kelestimur
Fahrettin
F
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005542:Forearm; D005546:Forehead; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007018:Hypopituitarism / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000032:analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D012629:Sebum; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012881:Skin Temperature; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014870:Water Loss, Insensible
D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I