24 Hour Growth-Hormone Secretion In Girls With Sexual Precocity

Twenty four hour growth hormone (GH) secretion has been determined to classify patients with growth disorders, a mean (x) 3 ng/dl considered GH neurosecretory deficiency. We studied GH secretion in 6 girls with sexual precocity submitted to 24 hour evaluation of LH and FSH secretion. 5 patients had breast,development (Tanner stage II-III), advanced height and/or bone age (cases 1-5) and one girl had premature pubarche (case 6-Breasts stage 1, pubic hair stage II) as well as advanced height and bone ages. Blood was withdrawn through an I.V. catheter every 20 min. for 24 hours (total volume < 7ml/Kg) during normal daily activities and meals and nocturnal sleep. GH for each case was determined in duplicate in the same RIA and the results analysed by the algoryth-detect method using a IBM-PC computer to verify the number and area under the pulses. The diurnal period was considered 8-20 h and nocturnal 20.20 - 7.40 h. Somatomedin -C levels were elevated for chronological age in case 3 and in cases 1, 2 and 4.