摘要:

In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist leuprolide acetate in distinguishing gonadotropin deficiency from delayed puberty, a single subcutaneous dose of 20 μg/kg of leuprolide acetate was administered at 07.00 h to 14 patients with constitutionally delayed puberty and to 8 gonadotropin-deficient subjects, and serum gonadotropin and testosterone levels were determined at baseline and 1,2, 3, 6,12, and 24 h thereafter. The increase in gonadotropin and testosterone levels was significant in patients with delayed puberty, so that the mean peak luteinizing hormone and to a lesser degree the mean peak testosterone levels clearly differentiated normally delayed from gonadotropin-deficient puberty. However, when the peak gonadotropin and testosterone concentrations were analyzed individually, there was a considerable overlap between the two groups of males, limiting the usefulness of this test

ISSN:1663-2818    

DOI:10.1159/000185421

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1997

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Accurate measurements of both healthy and premature neonates are possible but rarely performed. Routine anthropometry is often not performed at all or with large measurement errors due to inadequate training of personnel or inappropriate equipment. Sick neonates are often considered unsuitable for anthropometry and growth is wrongly equated with weight gain. Gain in length may be disturbed by poor health and permanent extrauterine growth retardation and changes in body proportions induced in some survivors of neonatal intensive care. Drug treatments may have profound effects on length gain and the relationship of length to weight.

ISSN:1663-2818    

DOI:10.1159/000191253

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1997

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Acute dexamethasone administration (2 mg/m2 i.v. and 4 mg orally) increases growth hormone (GH) release in children. We evaluated the effect of a low intravenous dose (1 mg/m2) of dexamethasone on GH secretion in 8 short normal children and in 6 GH-deficient children. There was a significant GH increase at 120, 150 and 180min in short normal children (maximal value: 18.9 ± 2.1 μg/l; X ± EP), compared to placebo administration. In contrast, no significant GH elevation was seen in GH-deficient children (1.3 ± 0.4 μg/l). There was no difference in the GH response after intravenous dexamethasone and oral clonidine in these same 8 short normal children and 6 GH-deficient children. Although no significant GH release was observed after dexamethasone or clonidine in GH deficiency, an increase in GH after GH-releasing hormone was seen (6.1 ± 1.9 μg/l). There was a significant GH increase (18.5 ± 3.3 μg/l) after low-dose (2-mg) oral dexamethasone administration in another 8 short normal children, which was similar to values after intravenous injection. No side effects were noted after intravenous or oral dexamethasone. In conclusion, low-dose intravenous or oral dexamethasone administration causes a marked GH release in short normal children, probably mediated by hypothalamic st

ISSN:1663-2818    

DOI:10.1159/000185356

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1997

数据来源: Karger

ISSN:1663-2818    

DOI:10.1159/000185358

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1997

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

There is substantial evidence for interactions between the immune and endocrine systems at different levels. In the present study we investigated whether human growth hormone (hGH) could stimulate proliferation of interferon-γ-secreting cells (IFN-γ-SC), and production of IFN-γ. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) taken from 15 normal subjects were incubated with varying doses (200,400, 600 and 800 ng/ml) of recombinant hGH. Samples of cells were also incubated with PBS buffer (without hGH) to serve as controls. Effects of hGH were studied by enumerating IFN-γ-SC and by measuring the concentration of IFN-γ using an Immunospot assay and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. The results showed that hGH significantly increased both the number of IFN-γ-SC and the concentration of IFN-γ in a dose-dependent manner. The maximum effects were obtained in the presence of (400 ng/ml) hGH (15 ± 5 IFN-γ-SC/106 PBMC and 300 ± 55 U/ml IFN-γ) compared to controls (4 ± 2 IFN-γ-SC/106 PBMC and 50 ± 10 U/ml IFN-γ). The results of the present study suggest that hGH might influence the immune system by stimulating the proliferation of IFN-γ-SC and the prod

ISSN:1663-2818    

DOI:10.1159/000185359

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1997

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

A lot of interest has been directed towards the measurement of urinary growth hormone (GH) excretion instead of plasma GH profiles or provocation tests. We investigated the factors influencing the relationship between 24- and 3-hour plasma GH profiles and urinary GH excretion in a cohort of 113 pediatric patients with growth disorders and healthy volunteers. Plasma and urinary GH were measured by polyclonal immunoassays differing in cross-reactivity with 20-kD GH (100 versus 46%), but not with 22-kD, dimer, deamidated and pituitary GH. In the 24-hour urine samples, only urinary GH excretion expressed as nanograms per 24 h correlated with plasma GH parameters, whereas the correlations for short-term samples were strongest if urinary GH excretion was expressed as nanograms per gram creatinine (r = 0.70-79, p < 0.00005-0.0001). In short-term samples urinary GH excretion depends on urinary volume and should thus be expressed in nanograms per gram creatinine, whereas 24-hour samples correlate best when urinary GH is expressed as nanograms per period. We found a significant sex difference (p < 0.02) in the correlation between 24-hour plasma GH profiles and urinary GH excretion with strong correlations in the female group (r = 0.63-0.78, p < 0.00005-0.0002) and a lack of correlation in the male group. The sex difference in the correlations between serum and urinary GH may reflect sex differences in GH profiles and metabolism, with urinary GH better reflecting the basal and slowly clearing portion of plasma GH than spontaneous GH peaks. The difference in cross-reactivities of molecular GH forms in polyclonal assays may have an impact on the correlation between plasma and urinary GH. Thus, the diagnostic value of urinary GH measurement as compared to serum GH profiles needs to be further evaluated.

ISSN:1663-2818    

DOI:10.1159/000185604

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1997

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Postnatal catch-up growth in infants born small for gestational age has been reported to occur mainly during the initial 3-9 months of life. The study presented here characterized early postnatal growth in healthy, full-term infants born short for gestational age (GA) ( < -2 standard deviation scores [SDS] in birth length) in two populations. Results from a longitudinal growth study from birth to final height of 139 infants born short for GA between 1973 and 1975 in Göteborg, Sweden, were compared with results from an ongoing detailed prospective 6-month follow-up of 41 Hong Kong Chinese infants born short for GA in 1995 and 1996. For both populations, height was expressed in SDS using the updated Swedish growth reference data at birth and postnatally. In the Swedish study, 92% of the children born short for GA reached a final height greater than -2 SDS; 76% had a height greater than -2 SDS by 2 months of age. In the Hong Kong study, 79% reached a height greater than -2 SDS by 5 months of age (the longest follow-up time to date). A third population of Hong Kong Chinese infants born short for GA in 1967 was studied; 65% had reached the normal height range by 5 months of age. In the later Hong Kong study (1995-1996), catch-up growth could be identified as early as 12 weeks of age, which has important implications for clinical practice. Thus, growth monitoring during the first weeks of postnatal life gives useful information on catch-up growth in infants born short for GA

ISSN:1663-2818    

DOI:10.1159/000191279

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1997

数据来源: Karger

ISSN:1663-2818    

DOI:10.1159/000185362

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1997

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

The objective of this study was to investigate the serum level of the 7S domains of type-IV collagen [IVc (7S)] and its relations with microangiopathy in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). This study comprised 73 patients with NIDDM that were consulted in our outpatient clinic. Among the 73 NIDDM patients, 43 with normal arterial pressure were selected to assess the relationship between serum levels of 7S collagen and microangiopathy. There was a significant relationship between the serum IVc (7S) levels and the presence of retinopathy and nephropathy. These findings suggest that an increased IVc (7S) concentration may reflect the abnormal collagen metabolism of the vascular basement membrane in NIDDM patients. Column chromatography of the NIDDM patients’ sera revealed the heterogeneity of immunoreactive type-IV collagen (7S) and showed that these domains were composed mainly of degradation products of type-IV collagen. These data suggest that degradation of IVc is accelerated in the vascular basement membrane of NIDDM patient

ISSN:1663-2818    

DOI:10.1159/000185605

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1997

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Animal studies have shown that undernutrition before birth programmes persisting changes in a range of metabolic, physiological and structural parameters. Studies in humans have shown that men and women who had birth weights at the lower end of the normal range, who were thin or short at birth, or who were small in relation to placental size, have increased rates of coronary heart disease. This article suggests how fetal undernutrition at different stages of gestation may be linked to these patterns of early growth. Adaptations by the fetus to undernutrition are associated with changes in the concentrations of fetal placental hormones. Persisting changes in the level of hormone secretion and tissue sensitivity may link fetal undernutrition with adult disease.

ISSN:1663-2818    

DOI:10.1159/000191262

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1997

数据来源: Karger