The relationship between the growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor axis in long-term survivors of childhood XXXX .

@entity1 @entity1313 @entity442 @entity2301
OBJECTIVE: We compared @entity442 and @entity2301 concentrations in a group of adults treated for @entity1313 in childhood with those of matched controls, and investigated the relationship between the GH secretory pattern and @entity442 / @entity2301 concentrations in the entire group. DESIGN: We performed 24 h serum GH profiles using 20 minute sampling and measured corresponding fasting concentrations of @entity442 and @entity2301 . @entity1 : Fourteen adult male long-term survivors of childhood @entity1313 were studied. All had received high dose cranial irradiation (> or = 30Gy; median 12.8 (range 5.8-14.5) years previously). Nine healthy male volunteers acted as controls. MEASUREMENTS: @entity442 and @entity2301 concentrations were measured at 06.00 hours. Peak and trough GH activity within the GH profile was analysed by a distribution method which determined the concentration at or below which the serum GH concentration in the profile spent 95% (peak) and 5% (trough) of the total time. RESULTS: Serum @entity442 levels were significantly lower in the irradiated group (Irradiated: 200 micrograms/l vs CONTROL: 265 micrograms/l; P = 0.001) but the difference in serum @entity2301 (Irradiated: 2.3 mg/l vs CONTROLs: 2.77 mg/l; P = 0.03) was less marked. Peak GH activity was lower in the Irradiated subjects (2.59 mU/l vs 9.04 mU/l; P = 0.0004) and correlated strongly with @entity442 (r = 0.62; P = 0.002) but less so with @entity2301 (r = 0.35; P = 0.09). This was strenghtened when the range of activity within the profle (peak-trough) was considered. Trough GH activity had a nonsignificant negative correlation with @entity442 and @entity2301 levels. CONCLUSION: The difference in serum @entity442 concentrations between irradiated subjects and controls was greater than the difference in serum @entity2301 . Peak GH activity and the range of activity within the profile correlated strongly with @entity442 concentrations but less so with @entity2301 .
