Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 2, 2026
Comparative Analysis of Human Growth Hormone in Serum Using SPRi, Nano-SPRi and ELISA Assays
Published on: January 7, 2016
The role of serial sampling in the diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency
F B Diamond1, E V Jorgensen, A W Root
1Department of Pediatrics, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa, Florida, USA.
Insights
Serial growth hormone (GH) testing in short children showed correlations with growth velocity, especially in boys. Treatment duration, not initial GH levels, predicted height improvement, emphasizing individualized testing for GH insufficiency.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Growth Hormone Research
- Child Development
Background:
- Assessing growth hormone (GH) secretion is crucial for diagnosing short stature in children.
- Current diagnostic methods for GH insufficiency can be variable.
- Understanding spontaneous GH secretion patterns aids in treatment decisions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the relationship between 12-hour serial GH sampling and growth velocity in short children.
- To compare GH secretion indices between children with idiopathic short stature and those with GH deficiency.
- To determine predictors of treatment response to exogenous GH therapy.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 12-hour serial GH sampling in two cohorts: a university endocrine clinic (n=96) and the National Cooperative Growth Study (n=825).
- Correlation analysis between GH levels, growth velocity, and testosterone levels.
- Comparison of GH secretion indices (mean 12-hour GH, peak GH, IGF-I) in different patient groups.
Main Results:
- Mean 12-hour GH levels correlated with growth velocity, particularly in boys.
- Testosterone levels also correlated with growth velocity and GH levels in boys.
- Lower mean 12-hour GH, peak GH, and IGF-I levels were observed in children with idiopathic short stature compared to controls.
- Duration of GH treatment was the strongest predictor of height improvement, outperforming spontaneous secretion or provocative testing results.
Conclusions:
- GH testing results require individualized interpretation to identify GH insufficiency at various somatotropic axis levels.
- Spontaneous GH secretion indices and provocative testing were not predictive of treatment response.
- Treatment duration is a key factor in improving height SD scores in children receiving GH therapy.
Abstract:
We analyzed 12-hour serial sampling of growth hormone (GH) levels in two cohorts of short children: 96 children referred to a university endocrine clinic or studied on a research protocol and 825 children in the National Cooperative Growth Study of children treated with exogenous GH. The mean 12-hour GH levels correlated with growth velocity in 60 children with normal height and growth velocity in the university study, and this correlation was stronger in the boys. The testosterone levels also correlated with growth velocity and mean 12-hour GH levels in the boys. The mean 12-hour GH levels were lower in a group of 36 children with idiopathic short stature than in the control subjects, as were the peak GH levels within 1 hour after the onset of sleep and the insulin-like growth factor I levels. In the National Cooperative Growth Study cohort, pooled 12-hour GH levels were lower in the group with idiopathic GH deficiency (n = 300) than in the group with idiopathic short stature (n = 525), but the difference was not significant. The duration of GH treatment was the most significant predictor of change in the height SD score in both groups. Indices of spontaneous secretion of GH were not predictive of the response to GH treatment, nor were the results of provocative GH testing, the responses to GH treatment being similar in both groups over time. We conclude that the results of GH testing must be interpreted for each patient and that several testing modalities may be helpful in finding GH insufficiency that originates at various levels of the somatotropic axis.
