Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Regular fluctuations in growth hormone (GH) release determine normal human growth.
AU - Gill, M. S.
AU - Thalange, N. K. S.
AU - Foster, P. H.
AU - Tillman, V.
AU - Price, D. A.
AU - Diggle, P. J.
AU - Clayton, P. E.
PY - 1999
Y1 - 1999
N2 - Growth hormone (GH) is the principal hormone associated with growth through childhood, but in a normal child the amount of GH secretion does not appear to be critical in the generation of normal growth rates. We have assessed the relationship between growth and urinary GH (uGH) output in a longitudinal study of 29 healthy prepubertal schoolchildren (13 male, 16 female; age 5.7–7.8 years) over 1 year. Height and uGH were measured three times a week. Individual height velocity curves were derived using non-linear regression. Growth was expressed in terms of the total increment over the year (ΔHt, cm), height velocity standard deviation score (HVSDS) and the average size of individual growth spurts. Urinary GH data (ng) were expressed as a weekly average. Mean uGH did not correlate with stature or growth over the year. However, the coefficient of variation of uGH was correlated with height standard deviation score (HtSDS,r= 0.38,P< 0.05), while the relative constancy of short-term change in uGH (coefficient of incremental change, ΔINC) was inversely correlated with ΔHt (r= – 0.44) and HVSDS (r= – 0.42, bothP< 0.05) but not with HtSDS. ΔINCwas also inversely correlated with the average size of individual growth spurts derived from the height velocity curves (r= – 0.45,P< 0.05). Using time series analysis to identify rhythms in uGH excretion, a positive correlation was found between the magnitude of rhythms of a period of 2 to 4 weeks and HtSDS (r= 0.40,P< 0.05). These data demonstrate that variability in GH is a more important determinant of normal childhood growth rate than the amount of GH alone. Stature is correlated to the overall variability in GH release, while increment in height and the magnitude of individual growth spurts are influenced by the constancy of the GH profile. This would imply that once the GH dose has been replaced in GH deficiency, optimal growth could only be achieved by varying the pattern of GH administration.
AB - Growth hormone (GH) is the principal hormone associated with growth through childhood, but in a normal child the amount of GH secretion does not appear to be critical in the generation of normal growth rates. We have assessed the relationship between growth and urinary GH (uGH) output in a longitudinal study of 29 healthy prepubertal schoolchildren (13 male, 16 female; age 5.7–7.8 years) over 1 year. Height and uGH were measured three times a week. Individual height velocity curves were derived using non-linear regression. Growth was expressed in terms of the total increment over the year (ΔHt, cm), height velocity standard deviation score (HVSDS) and the average size of individual growth spurts. Urinary GH data (ng) were expressed as a weekly average. Mean uGH did not correlate with stature or growth over the year. However, the coefficient of variation of uGH was correlated with height standard deviation score (HtSDS,r= 0.38,P< 0.05), while the relative constancy of short-term change in uGH (coefficient of incremental change, ΔINC) was inversely correlated with ΔHt (r= – 0.44) and HVSDS (r= – 0.42, bothP< 0.05) but not with HtSDS. ΔINCwas also inversely correlated with the average size of individual growth spurts derived from the height velocity curves (r= – 0.45,P< 0.05). Using time series analysis to identify rhythms in uGH excretion, a positive correlation was found between the magnitude of rhythms of a period of 2 to 4 weeks and HtSDS (r= 0.40,P< 0.05). These data demonstrate that variability in GH is a more important determinant of normal childhood growth rate than the amount of GH alone. Stature is correlated to the overall variability in GH release, while increment in height and the magnitude of individual growth spurts are influenced by the constancy of the GH profile. This would imply that once the GH dose has been replaced in GH deficiency, optimal growth could only be achieved by varying the pattern of GH administration.
KW - body height
KW - growth physiology
KW - somatotropin urine
KW - rhythmicity.
U2 - 10.1054/ghir.1999.0095
DO - 10.1054/ghir.1999.0095
M3 - Journal article
VL - 9
SP - 114
EP - 122
JO - Growth Hormone and IGF Research
JF - Growth Hormone and IGF Research
SN - 1532-2238
IS - 2
ER -