title: A 24-Hour Study of the Hypothalamo-Pituitary Axes in Huntington's Disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Huntington's disease is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder characterised by motor, cognitive and psychiatric disturbances. Patients exhibit other symptoms including sleep and mood disturbances, muscle atrophy and weight loss which may be linked to hypothalamic pathology and dysfunction of hypothalamo-pituitary axes.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied neuroendocrine profiles of corticotropic, somatotropic and gonadotropic hypothalamo-pituitary axes hormones over a 24-hour period in controlled environment in 15 healthy controls, 14 premanifest and 13 stage II/III Huntington's disease subjects. We also quantified fasting levels of vasopressin, oestradiol, testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate, thyroid stimulating hormone, free triiodothyronine, free total thyroxine, prolactin, adrenaline and noradrenaline. Somatotropic axis hormones, growth hormone releasing hormone, insulin-like growth factor-1 and insulin-like factor binding protein-3 were quantified at 06:00 (fasting), 15:00 and 23:00. A battery of clinical tests, including neurological rating and function scales were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  24-hour concentrations of adrenocorticotropic hormone, cortisol, luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone did not differ significantly between the Huntington's disease group and controls. Daytime growth hormone secretion was similar in control and Huntington's disease subjects. Stage II/III Huntington's disease subjects had lower concentration of post-sleep growth hormone pulse and higher insulin-like growth factor-1:growth hormone ratio which did not reach significance. In Huntington's disease subjects, baseline levels of hypothalamo-pituitary axis hormones measured did not significantly differ from those of healthy controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The relatively small subject group means that the study may not detect subtle perturbations in hormone concentrations. A targeted study of the somatotropic axis in larger cohorts may be warranted. However, the lack of significant results despite many variables being tested does imply that the majority of them do not differ substantially between HD and controls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurosciences, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Eirini
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kalliolia
authors.affiliation: Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Centre, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Edina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Silajdžić
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurosciences, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Rajasree
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nambron
authors.affiliation: Biochemistry Department, Royal Free Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Seán J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Costelloe
authors.affiliation: Biochemistry Department, Royal Free Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Nicholas G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Nathan R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Frost
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Hilary C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Watt
authors.affiliation: Developmental Endocrinology Research Group, UCL Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hindmarsh
authors.affiliation: Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Centre, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Björkqvist
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurosciences, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom; Reta Lila Weston Institute of Neurological Studies, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Thomas T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Warner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014667:Vasopressins / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D014667:Vasopressins; D006854:Hydrocortisone