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Twenty-four hour growth hormone secretion in a patient with Werner's syndrome
1Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas 75235-8889, USA. crubin@mednet.swmed.edu
Objective:
To assess the 24-h endogenous secretory growth hormone (GH) profile and serum insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) response to exogenous recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) in a patient with Werner's syndrome.
Design:
Blood sampling every 20 min for 24 h followed by three daily injections of growth hormone.
Setting:
General Clinical Research Center.
Patients:
Single patient with Werner's syndrome.
Measurements:
Serum GH and IGF-I.
Results:
Growth hormone pulses were absent during the 24-h monitoring period. Likewise, integrated GH concentrations were very low at 0.25 mu min/mL, and no peaks occurred after sleep onset. Following single daily administration of rhGH, serum GH and IGF-I rose.
Conclusions:
Our findings support previous but less extensive studies suggesting patients with Werner's syndrome have reduced growth hormone levels. Preliminary investigations using rhGH in patients with Werner's syndrome should be considered.