Gender and age in the biochemical assessment of cure of XXXX .

@entity1 @entity66 @entity442 @entity2012 @entity413
The principal biochemical criteria for cure in @entity2012 are normalization of both @entity413 -suppressed GH levels and @entity442 levels. As we have reported previously, measurement of GH by highly sensitive assay in conjunction with @entity442 levels has led to a re-appraisal of "normal" GH suppression criteria during an OGTT in subjects with @entity2012 . In some @entity1 with active @entity2012 , @entity413 -suppressed GH levels as measured by highly sensitive assay are much lower than could previously be appreciated with less sensitive GH assays and some other @entity1 in apparent remission have @entity66 . A question to arise is whether gender differences in @entity413 -suppressed GH levels as found by others in young healthy subjects should be considered in our interpretation of OGTT criteria for cure in @entity2012 . Therefore, we have evaluated parameters of GH secretion in a larger number of subjects from our cohort of postoperative @entity1 with @entity2012 and in healthy subjects in order to determine if gender or age associated differences in these parameters exist. Ninety-two subjects with @entity2012 (49 @entity1 , 43 @entity1 ) and 46 age-matched healthy subjects (26 @entity1 , 20 @entity1 ) were evaluated with baseline GH and @entity442 levels and nadir GH levels after a 100 g. OGTT. GH was assayed by highly sensitive IRMA (DSL). Basal GH levels were higher in female than in male healthy subjects, but the fall in GH from baseline (% suppression) was also greater in females resulting in no significant difference in mean nadir GH levels in female vs. male healthy subjects (0.09 vs. 0.08 microg/L). In the subjects with @entity2012 , there were no significant gender differences in basal, %GH suppression or nadir GH levels. Basal and nadir GH levels correlated significantly only in subjects with active disease (r=0.84, p<.0001). Similarly, @entity442 levels correlated significantly with basal (r=0.573, p=.0012), and nadir (r=.702, p<.0001) GH levels only in subjects with active disease. Gender differences in @entity442 levels were not apparent in any group of subjects. As expected, @entity442 levels declined with age in those groups of subjects with normal @entity442 levels. Nadir GH levels did not vary with age. In conclusion, we have not found significant gender or age-related differences in nadir GH levels and thus our data does not support separate OGTT criteria for cure in @entity1 and @entity1 with @entity2012 .
