title: Decreased 6-Sulfatoxymelatonin Excretion in Male GH-Deficient Children and Adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate melatonin secretion in a group of untreated and treated male growth hormone (GH)-deficient children and adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 44 male subjects: 8 untreated GH-deficient patients (GHDnt), 16 treated GH-deficient patients (GHDt) and 20 healthy children and adolescents as control group (CG). We measured urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (6-SM) in total (24-hour samples), nocturnal (18.00-8.00 h) and diurnal samples (8.00-18.00 h). Levels of 6-SM were expressed as micrograms excreted per time interval and x0394; values (difference between nighttime and daytime values).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences were observed among the 3 groups of pediatric subjects studied for total 6-SM (p < 0.0001), nocturnal 6-SM (p < 0.0001) and x0394; values (p < 0.0001). Subsequent analysis showed significantly higher levels for total 6-SM, nocturnal 6-SM and nighttime-daytime x0394; in the CG versus the GHDnt (p < 0.01) and in the CG versus the GHDt group (p < 0.01). No significant correlations were found between 6-SM excretion and insulin-like growth factor-1 values in the children and adolescents studied.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GH-deficient patients showed lower levels of 6-SM. Our findings provide a different insight to a further understanding of some chronobiological disorders involved in GH deficiency in children.
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology Unit, Department of Medicine, Hospital T. Alvarez, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Hugo L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Fideleff
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fideleff
authors.forename: Hugo R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Boquete
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suárez
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Azaretzky
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Brunetto
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001827:Body Height / Q000187:drug effects; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000652:urine; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000652:urine; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000652:urine; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: C583557:IGF1 protein, human; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019382:Human Growth Hormone; C054513:6-sulfatoxymelatonin; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D008550:Melatonin