Somatostatin Infusion Withdrawal: Studies in Normal Children and in Children with Growth Hormone Deficiency
Open Access
- 1 December 1999
- journal article
- other
- Published by The Endocrine Society in Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism
- Vol. 84 (12) , 4426-4430
- https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.84.12.4426
Abstract
Withdrawal of a somatostatin infusion (SSIW) is followed by a rebound rise of GH in both animals and normal adult men, a phenomenon likely mediated by endogenous GHRH function. In the present study, we have evaluated the GH response to SSIW in a group of 28 prepubertal children (18 boys and 10 girls; aged 3.7–11.1 yr). Six children had GH deficiency [GHD; GH responses to pyridostigmine (PD)+GHRH and to clonidine <20 and 7 μg/L, respectively; mean integrated nighttime GH concentrations <3 μg/L), and 18 children were short normal children [normal controls (NC)]. All children received a constant infusion of SS at the dose of 3 μg/Kg·h for 90 min. SSIW elicited a clear-cut GH rise in NC children (13.7 ± 1.0μ g/L), but not in GH-deficient children, regardless of the underlying etiology (GHD, 1.6 ± 0.4 μg/L; GHND, 2.4 ± 0.3 μg/L). The GH response to SSIW was similar between GHD and GHND children. There was no overlapping of the maximum SSIW-stimulated GH peaks between NC and GHD or GHND children. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that SSIW elicits a significant GH rise in NC children, but not in GH-deficient children, regardless of the underlying etiology (GHD or GHND). This resulted in complete discrimination of NC from GHD or GHND children. Were these present findings confirmed on a larger number of children, SSIW, because of its testing efficaciousness and safety, procedural simplicity, and economy holds promise of being a useful diagnostic tool for GH-dependent growth disorders.Keywords
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