CIRCADIAN GROWTH-HORMONE SECRETION IN ASYMPTOMATIC HUMAN IMMUNE-DEFICIENCY VIRUS-INFECTION AND ACQUIRED-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-SYNDROME

Although anabolic effects of GH supplementation have been reported in acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients, the effects of hu man immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection per se on GH secretion are unknown. Therefore, we evaluated the characteristics of GH secretion i n eight asymptomatic HIV-infected men, eight clinically stable male AI DS patients, and eight healthy controls. Wasting AIDS patients were no t included to circumvent the confounding effects of opportunistic dise ase on GH secretion. Samples for GH analysis were taken at 10-min inte rvals over 24 h. GH was measured by immunoradiometric assay (detection limit, 0.08 mU/L). Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and IGF-bindi ng protein-3 were measured every 6 h. The pulsatile secretion of GH wa s evaluated by Cluster and DESADE analyses. No differences in number o f peaks, peak amplitude, peak length, peak interval, or GH secretion p er 24 h were found among the studied groups. IGF-I and IGF-binding pro tein-3 concentrations were not different among groups. Circadian GH se cretion in asymptomatic HIV infection and AIDS without wasting is not different from that in healthy subjects. Therefore, anabolic effects d ocumented in clinical trials with recombinant human GH in AIDS patient s are not merely explained by alterations in the GH/IGF-I axis induced by HIV infection per se.