Comparison of Growth Hormone Sleep Release and Responses to Pharmacological Tests

Abstract

The spontaneous release of growth hormone (GH) during nocturnal sleep was studied at age 5–19 years in 44 male and 15 female patients with severe growth retardation (-2.1 to -6.5 SD) among whom 43 were prepubertal and 16 pubertal. Comparison with the results of classical stimulation tests with ornithine, arginine and/or insulin showed good agreement in cases of classical hypopituitarism (n = 14) as in patients who seemed to be endocrinologically normal (n = 27). In 18 patients (31 %) there was a discrepancy between sleep release and responses of GH to stimulation test: treatment with hGH was available in only 4 of these children and enhanced sharply their growth rate. It is suggested that a large span of intermediary situations exists between normal GH secretion and complete GH deficiency, deserving a controlled therapeutic trial with hGH.