title: Male-female differences in 6-sulfatoxymelatonin excretion in hypopituitary patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate melatonin secretion in adult hypopituitary patients with Growth Hormone deficiency (AGHD) on and off replacement therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 48 subjects: 12 (6 males) untreated AGHD (AGHDnt), 20 (10 males) treated AGHD (AGHDt) and 16 healthy subjects (8 males) as control group (CG). We measured urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (6-SM) in total (24 h samples), nocturnal (6-SMn): 1800-0800 and diurnal samples (6-SMd): 0800-1800.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences were observed among the 3 groups of male subjects, in total 6-SM (p < 0.05), nocturnal 6-SM (p < 0.02) and nighttime-daytime delta values (p < 0.003). CG had significantly higher values than the AGHDnt in total 6-SM (p < 0.01), nocturnal 6-SM (p < 0.05) and nighttime-daytime delta values (p < 0.01). AGHDt patients showed significantly higher levels in nighttime-daytime delta values than AGHDnt patients (p < 0.05). In females, no significant differences were found among the 3 groups studied in total, nocturnal, diurnal or nighttime-daytime delta values. In males, significant correlations were found among total 6-SM (r = 0.58; p = 0.029), nocturnal 6-SM (r = 0.70; p = 0.006) and nighttime-daytime delta values (r = 0.71; p = 0.004) vs. serum IGF-1 levels in subjects evaluated. In females, significant correlations were found among total 6-SM (r = 0.57; p = 0.02) vs. serum IGF-1 levels in subjects evaluated. A tendency towards a significant correlation was found in diurnal 6-SM (r = 0.48; p = 0.07).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings show a sexual dimorphism in 6-SM excretion in AGHD patients and provide an interesting approach to a further understanding of some chronobiological disorders involved in GH deficiency.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Endocrinología, Departamento de Medicina, Hospital T. Alvarez, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Hugo L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Fideleff
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Endocrinología, Departamento de Medicina, Hospital T. Alvarez, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fideleff
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Endocrinología, Departamento de Medicina, Hospital T. Alvarez, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Hugo R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Boquete
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Endocrinología, Departamento de Medicina, Hospital T. Alvarez, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suárez
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Endocrinología, Departamento de Medicina, Hospital T. Alvarez, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Azaretzky
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000172:deficiency*; D006801:Humans; D007018:Hypopituitarism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000652:urine; D008875:Middle Aged; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000502:physiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019382:Human Growth Hormone; C054513:6-sulfatoxymelatonin; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D008550:Melatonin