title: Postprandial triglyceride profile after a standardized oral fat load is altered in growth hormone (GH)-deficient adult patients and is not improved after short-term GH replacement therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Adult growth hormone deficiency (GHD) has detrimental effects on metabolic profile, leading to an increased cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Above all, disturbance in postprandial triglyceride metabolism is of major concern because of the crucial role of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in atherogenesis. The majority of previous studies on GH replacement have shown favourable changes in the fasting lipid profile. Aim of this study is to investigate whether this beneficial effect is exerted also on postprandial triglyceride (TG) metabolism.
  
  
  METHODS
  We challenged nine GHD patients with a standardized fat loading meal at baseline and after 6 months of GH replacement therapy. Nine healthy control subjects were similarly tested under baseline conditions. Blood samples were obtained before and up to 8 h after fat loading for serum lipid analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that GHD patients with fasting TG level in the normal range (1·29 ± 0·31 mm) had a delayed postprandial TG clearance compared to healthy controls (triglyceride level at 8 h, 3·82 ± 0·83 vs 1 ± 0·06 mm P < 0·01), and the postprandial hypertriglyceridaemia was not corrected by 6 months of GH therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study has shown for the first time that GHD adult patients have a higher postprandial triglyceridaemia compared to healthy controls when challenged by a standardized fat load and that this atherogenic feature is not normalized by short-term GH treatment despite a decrease in visceral fat mass described during the replacement therapy.
authors.affiliation: Clinica Medica, Ospedale San Gerardo, Università Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Perotti
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caumo
authors.forename: Amelia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brunani
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cambiaghi
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Casati
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scacchi
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Perra
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rocco
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mancia
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grassi
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cavagnini
authors.forename: Angela Ida
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Pincelli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007018:Hypopituitarism / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D019518:Postprandial Period / Q000187:drug effects; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D014280:Triglycerides; D019382:Human Growth Hormone