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M. DÖREN and H. P. G. SCHNEIDER
W. SCHEPP, J. SCHNEIDER, and M. CLASSEN
K. KRUSE, A. SÜSS, M. BÜSSE, and P. SCHNEIDER
M. DÖREN, M. MONTAG, and H. P. G. SCHNEIDER
M. DÖREN, M. MONTAG, and H. P. G. SCHNEIDER
M. R. SCHNEIDER, H. MICHNA, Y. NISHINO, and M. F. EL ETREBY
A Kopczak, F von Rosen, C Krewer, H J Schneider, G K Stalla, and M Schneider
Objective
The insulin tolerance test (ITT) is the gold standard for the diagnosis of GH deficiency (GHD) and hypocortisolism. As hypopituitarism is a common disorder after traumatic brain injury (TBI) and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), the test is increasingly used in patients with pre-existing brain damage.
Design
A cross-sectional, observational study.
Methods
Fifty-six patients (41 TBI and 15 SAH) were tested with the ITT (0.15 IE/kg body weight, mean glucose 33 mg/dl). In 38 patients, the test was performed in a supine position; the other 18 patients were in a sitting position during the ITT.
Results
Hypocortisolism and GHD were more often diagnosed in a supine than in a sitting position (hypocortisolism: 55.3% supine versus 0% sitting, P<0.0001; GHD: 42.1% supine versus 11.1% sitting, P=0.03). Patients in a sitting position suffered more often from symptoms such as tachycardia (61.1% sitting versus 15.8% supine, P=0.001), trembling (22.2 vs 7.9%, NS), and sweating (66.7 vs 28.9%, P=0.007). There were no significant differences between the groups in drowsiness (72.2% sitting versus 65.8% supine, NS), dizziness (44.4 vs 44.7%, NS), and fatigue (33.3 vs 15.8%, NS). Because of somnolence, the hypoglycemic state could only be stopped with i.v. administration of glucose in 25 supine patients (66%). In contrast, none of the 18 patients (0%) tested in a sitting position got somnolent or was in need of i.v. application of glucose (P<0.001).
Conclusions
In patients with brain injury, posture might affect rates of diagnosing GHD and hypocortisolism and sympathetic symptoms in the ITT. These findings are exploratory and need replication in a standardized setting.
H J Schneider, B L Herrmann, M Schneider, C Sievers, L Schaaf, and G K Stalla
Objective: Patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) are at moderate risk of GH deficiency (GHD), requiring a diagnostic test with high specificity. The GHRH + arginine (GHRH + ARG) test has been recommended as a reliable alternative to the insulin-tolerance test (ITT) as a standard test with a cutoff level of 9 ng/ml. However, it has recently been questioned for its low specificity in obese subjects, and now BMI-dependent cut-off levels are available. In this study, we compared the ITT and GHRH + ARG test in patients with TBI.
Design: A cross-sectional study
Methods: We performed an ITT and a GHRH + ARG test in 21 patients with TBI (6 women, 15 men; mean age 40.2 ± 12.1 years; BMI 30.7 ± 6.2). The number of patients classified discordantly as GH deficient by the ITT and the GHRH + ARG test with both classical and BMI-dependent cut-off levels was assessed.
Results: Using the GHRH + ARG test with the classical cut-off (≤ 9 ng/ml), we identified 12 patients as GH deficient who had a normal GH response to ITT (> 3 ng/ml), and one patient as GH sufficient who had a blunted GH response to ITT (discordance rate 61.9%). All patients discordantly classified as GH deficient by the GHRH + ARG test had a BMI of ≥ 28. With the BMI-dependent cut-offs (4.2, 8.0, and 11.5 ng/ml in obese, overweight, and lean subjects respectively), only 3 of the 21 patients were discordantly classified (discordance rate 14.3%).
Conclusions: Our results discourage the use of a cut-off level of 9 ng/ml for the GHRH + ARG test in obese subjects. The diagnostic reliability of this test is improved with the BMI-dependent cut-offs.
H J Schneider, M Schneider, B Saller, S Petersenn, M Uhr, B Husemann, F von Rosen, and G K Stalla
Objective: Cross-sectional studies report a high prevalence of hypopituitarism after traumatic brain injury (TBI); however, no longitudinal studies on time of manifestation and reversibility exist. This study was conducted to assess hypopituitarism 3 and 12 months after TBI.
Design: This was a prospective, longitudinal, diagnostic study.
Methods: Seventy-eight patients (52 men, 26 women, mean age 36.0 years) with TBI grades I–III and 38 healthy subjects (25 men, 13 women, mean age 36.4 years) as a control group for the GHRH + arginine test were studied. The prevalence ofhypopituitarism was assessed 3 and 12 months after TBI by GHRH + arginine test, short adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) test, and basal hormone measurements in patients.
Results: After 3 months, 56% of all patients had impairments of at least one pituitary axis with axes being affected as follows: gonadotropic 32%, corticotropic 19%, somatotropic 9% and thyrotropic 8%. After 12 months, fewer patients were affected, but in some cases new impairments occurred; 36% still had impairments. The axes were affected as follows after 12 months: gonadotropic 21%, somatotropic 10%, corticotropic 9% and thyrotropic 3%.
Conclusions: Hypopituitarism occurs often in the post-acute phase after TBI and may normalize later, but may also develop after the post-acute phase of TBI.