All issues > Volume 36(4); 1993

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1993;36(4):478-484. Published online April 15, 1993.

Clinical Significance of Urinary Growth Hormone Measurement in patients with Growth Hormone Deficien

Ho Seong HS Kim², Duk Hi DH Kim², Min-Seok MS Cheon¹

¹Endocrine Laboratory, Yonsei University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
²Department of Medicine, Yonsei University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

Urinary growth hormone (GH) excretion was quantitated in 12-hr overniaght urine collections obtained from 13 children with complete growth hormone deficiency(CGHD), 6 children with partial growth hormone deficiency(PGHD), 5 children with short stature and normal GH provocation tests(NSC), and 5 normal control children (NC) to investigate whether the measurement of urinary GH can clearly separate the PGHD and CGHD groups from the NSC and NC groups. In addition, the urinary excretion of GH was measured in CGHD after sc injections of 0.1 IU/kg GH three times a week and daily in an attempt to determine the optimal replacement dose. The results were as follows. 1) The 12-hr urinary GH excretion cleary separated the CGHD (1.2¡¾1.1 ng/12 hr;range, 0.3-3.1, n=13) and PGHD(3.7¡¾2.4ng/12hr;range, 0.9-6.8, n=6)groups from the NSC(14.0¡¾3.6ng/12hr;range, 8.5-18.2, n=5)and NC (12.7¡¾5.8ng/12hr;range, 6.9-20.8, n=5) groups without any overlap. 2) There were significant difference in 12-hr urinary GH excretion between CGHD and PGHD, but the higher values in CGHD groups overlapped some of the lower values in PGHD group. 3) There were no differencies in 12-hr urinary GH excretion between NC and NSC. 4) A 12-hr urinary GH values less than 6.9ng/12hr suggested GH deficiency. 5) The CGHD patients who received 0.1IU/kg GH, sc, daily had urinary GH levels within the range of the mean¡¾SD in NC, but those who received three times a week had daily variable urinary GH levels. These results suggest that the measurement of 12-hr nocturnal urinary GH excretion is non-invasive and useful for the screening of GH deficiency and the monitering of GH therapy response.

Keywords :Growth hormone deficiency, Urinary growth hormone