title: The effect of growth hormone on sleep-related cardio-respiratory control in Prader-Willi syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effects of growth hormone (GH) treatment on control of breathing, heart rate and blood pressure during sleep in Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS).
  
  
  METHODS
  In a prospective clinical case series study, sixteen consecutive PWS patients (median age 16 months at enrolment) were followed-up 6 months (2-32 months) after commencing GH treatment. We compared heart rate (HR), Pulse Transit Time (PTT; an index of blood pressure, BP) and ventilatory responses to standard chemostimuli (4% CO(2) and 100% O(2)) during quiet sleep prior to and after commencing GH treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Growth hormone treatment increased arterial oxygenation during sleep but did not significantly improve breathing stability (apnoea-hypopnoea index remained unchanged). GH treatment did not alter ventilatory, HR and PTT chemoreceptor-mediated responsiveness (p = 0.23-0.97) but did significantly improve the coupling between and HR and PTT, indicating that HR and BP rose (or fell) in parallel after but not before GH therapy (p = 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Growth hormone treatment improves arterial oxygenation and cardiovascular function during sleep; these changes are not owing to improved (stronger) chemoreflex-mediated autonomic drive.
authors.affiliation: Department of Women and Child Health, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. miriam.katz-salamon@karolinska.se
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Katz-Salamon
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Lindgren
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects*; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011218:Prader-Willi Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012119:Respiration / Q000187:drug effects*; D012890:Sleep
chemical_list: D019382:Human Growth Hormone