Plasma GH response to hpGRF-44 in normal children of short stature and patients with GH deficiency.

Abstract

Synthetic human pancreatic GRF (hpGRF-44) was administered as an iv bolus to 139 normal children of short stature and 63 patients with GH deficiency. After a dose of 1 and 2 micrograms hpGRF-44/kg BW, mean plasma GH levels peaked at 15 and 30 min, respectively, with corresponding values of 32.2 +/- 3.6 and 31.8 +/- 2.4 (+/- SE) ng/ml in normal but short children. There were no differences according to sex or age in plasma GH response to hpGRF-44 between the ages of 4 and 18 years. A similar plasma GH response was observed when 2 micrograms hpGRF-44/kg BW was administered two hours after lunch. The overall plasma GH response was greater than that of insulin-induced hypoglycemia and was similar to that obtained in the glucagon-propranolol test. Thirty-five of 63 patients with GH deficiency did not respond to a 2 micrograms hpGRF-44/kg BW. However, plasma GH increases to greater than 5 ng/ml occurred in the remaining 28 patients. Their mean GH level reached a peak at 90 min with a value of 8.8 +/- 0.8 ng/ml. These results suggest that hpGRF-44 is useful for evaluating pituitary GH reserve in children of short stature and that some patients with GH deficiency, diagnosed on the basis of established tests, have GH responses to hpGRF-44.

Effect of Growth Hormone-Releasing Factor on Plasma Growth Hormone, Prolactin and Somatomedin C in Hypopituitary and Short Normal Children

“…1) similar in amplitude and in profile to that reported in normal adult men with the same dose of GRF [38], From comparing the results of our study with those obtained by others, it ap pears that there is little difference in sensitiv ity and dose response of GH to GRF between young adults and prepubertal children [27,38,40,45,46,50]. This is in contrast to the clear increase of GH response to indirect stimulation that occurs at puberty [53], It suggests that this higher response reflects hy pothalamic maturation rather than increased sensitivity of the somatotroph to GRF.…”

Growth Hormone Therapy in Canada: End of One Era and Beginning of Another

“…Since January 1986 all previously treated GH-CMAJ, VOL. 135, AUGUST 15,1986 deficient patients in Canada have been offered treatment with biosynthetic methionyl GH (Somatrem, Eli Lilly Inc., Indianapolis) under the auspices of the existing national program. In parallel, a study to assess the long-term merit of a recently synthesized methionine-free biosynthetic GH (Somatropin, Eli Lilly) has been started with previously untreated patients.…”