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Summary OBJECTIVE To investigate whether the spontaneous secretion of growth hormone and prolactin in adult patients with pituitary-dependent Cushing’s disease is decreased. PATIENTS Fourteen adult patients (9 women, 5 men; age: 34 6 3·4 years, mean 6 SEM) with pituitarydependent Cushing’s disease and 14 controls matched for age, gender and body mass index were studied. METHODS Blood samples were withdrawn at 10 minutes intervals starting at 0900 h for 24 h. GH and PRL release were quantified with deconvolution methods. The regularity of GH and PRL release was measured with approximate entropy statistics. RESULTS The number of GH secretory events per 24 h was higher in patients than in controls: 19 6 1·3 vs .1 46 1·5 peaks per 24 h, respectively (Pa 0·020). GH secretion rate was about one quarter lower in patients (ns), and the 24 h secretion of PRL was unchanged. Total GH production correlated negatively with the urinary excretion of free cortisol (Ra 0·729, Pa 0·005) and with the plasma cortisol production rate (Ra 0·613; Pa 0·026). The orderliness of GH and PRL secretion was appraised with the approximate entropy statistic |
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