BETA-ENDORPHIN AND SOME HORMONAL LEVELS IN CHILDREN WITH ACUTE STRESSHYPERGLYCEMIA

The levels of beta-endorphin, insulin, cortisol, GH, glucagon, prolact in and TSH were measured in serum samples of 9 hyperglycaemic patients (3 female, 6 male) with a mean age of 4.1 years admitted to the pedia tric emergency unit. All patients were in acute stress due to severe d iseases (acute gastroenteritis, bronchopneumonia, septicaemia, etc.). Initial and repeat blood samples for hormone determination were taken at admission and in the recovery phase (after 4-6 weeks of treatment). OGTT was also performed in the recovery phase. The hyperglycaemia, mo nitored hourly following the initial determination, returned to normal in all patients in 1-5 h without specific treatment. Mean serum gluco se values at admission and in the recovery phase were 287.0 and 84.1 m g/dl. Concomitant to the hyperglycaemia encountered in these patients in the acute phase of stress, an increase; was noted in all hormone le vels excluding glucagon and cortisol. All elevated hormone levels fell to normal in 4-6 weeks with significant differences from initial leve ls for beta-endorphin (P < 0.05) and insulin (P < 0.01). OGTT gave a n ormal curve. These results indicate that stress hyperglycaemia, despit e high insulin levels, is associated with an increase in beta-endorphi n levels. The results also show that hyperglycaemia in acute disease d oes not alter OGTT in short-term follow up.