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Biomedical subjects

Z Laron

Publications and source records attributed to Z Laron.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

The impact of long-term therapy by a multidisciplinary team on the education, occupation and marital status of growth hormone deficient patients after termination of therapy.

Forty-two GH deficient patients (14 isolated GH deficiency (IGHD), 28 multiple pituitary hormone deficiencies (MPHD), 23 males and 19 females) were evaluated after termination of hGH therapy and achievement of final height. IGHD patients were found to score higher in intelligence quotients (IQ) than the MPHD patients. The educational and occupational achievements of all patients positively correlated with their IQ level. Three patients achieved only elementary education, 26 completed high school and 13 had higher education. Thirty patients who had completed their education were employed, whereas 12 continued to study. Seventeen of the male patients and five females served in the Army. Eight patients were married and half of the single patients reported having a stable relationship with the opposite sex. The hypopituitary patients did not differ in five out of seven subscales of the human services rehabilitation scale when compared to a normal control group. These results which vary from those previously reported demonstrate the importance of long-term psychosocial counselling initiated at the time of diagnosis as part of the therapeutic approach in hypopituitary patients.

Educational Status↗
PubMed1987

Greater efficiency of human growth hormone therapy in children below five years of age with growth hormone deficiency. A 5-year follow-up study.

The effect of human growth hormone (hGH) therapy was studied in 39 prepubertal children with growth hormone deficiency (24 with isolated growth hormone deficiency; 15 with multiple pituitary hormone deficiencies) who had been treated for 2-5 years. They were divided into two groups according to age at the initiation of therapy: group A (n = 21), 0.7-4.8 years (mean chronological age, 2.9 +/- 1.4 years, and bone age, 1.2 +/- 0.9 years); group B (n = 18), 5.2-9.9 years (mean chronological age, 7.4 +/- 1.3 years, and bone age, 4.0 +/- 1.5 years). hGH was given at an initial dose of 2-4 IU 3 times/week, raised to 4-6 IU 3 times/week when growth velocity slowed. In the first year, the mean height SDS gain was 1.7 for group A and 0.8 for group B, and in the second year, 1.1 and 0.1, respectively. Subsequently this remained consistent. Bone age advancement was significantly slower in the younger group (3.8 vs. 5.8 years during 5 years) although this group had a greater catch-up response to therapy. It is concluded that hGH therapy is significantly more effective in achieving normalization of height when treatment is initiated at an early age.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1986

Beta-endorphins in acute myocardial infarction.

The endogenous peptide B-endorphin (B-EP) is closely connected with different aspects of homeostasis, behavior, and in particular with the perception of pain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between: the level of plasma B-EP and the intensity of pain in acute myocardial infarction (AMI); and the B-EP and specific enzymes for AMI serum glutamic oxolo-acetic transferase, lactate dehydrogenase, and creatine phosphokinase and some stress hormones (cortisol, growth hormone). Twenty-six patients hospitalized in the CCU for acute MI were studied during the first 72 hours from the onset of symptoms. Seven normal subjects served as controls. Blood was taken for hormone and B-EP evaluation before treating the patients by opiates. Plasma B-EP levels were determined using the protocol of the Immunonuclear Corporation (Stillwater, MN). Statistical analysis of the results showed: Nonsignificant differences between B-EP levels of all MI patients and control group. Unaltered B-EP levels in patients with acute MI suffering from moderate pain. Significant differences in drop of B-EP in the group with most severe pain (p less than 0.025). A tendency toward decreased B-EP in patients suffering from more prolonged pain (greater than 6 hours). Significant negative correlation was shown between B-EP and chest pain intensity (0-4 graduation) (r = 0.8, p less than 0.01); lactate dehydrogenase (r = 0.7, p less than 0.01); serum glutamic oxolo-acetic transferase (r = 0.6, p less than 0.01); creatine phosphokinase (r = 0.6, p less than 0.05; plasma cortisol level (r = 0.5, p less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aspartate Aminotransferases↗
PubMed1986

Diurnal rhythm of plasma beta endorphin, cortisol and growth hormone in schizophrenics as compared to control subjects.

The diurnal variation of plasma beta endorphin was studied in ten schizophrenics, and in age/sex matched control subjects. In the controls beta endorphin was high in the morning (21.0 +/- 3.5 pmol/l) and decreased towards evening. In the schizophrenic group the beta endorphin fluctuated randomly, ranging within 9-40 pmol/l throughout the day. Plasma cortisol showed a normal diurnal pattern in both groups. The mean plasma cortisol levels in the schizophrenics were significantly higher than in the controls throughout the day. The pattern of plasma human growth hormone (hGH) level was similar in both groups at the time tested. It is hypothesized that the instability of beta endorphin secretion may contribute to the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) in healthy children, adolescents and adults as determined by a radioimmunoassay specific for the synthetic 53-70 peptide region.

A radioimmunoassay (RIA) specific for the synthetic 53-70 peptide region of human insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) was used to determine IGF-I in the serum of 191 healthy newborns, children and adolescents and in 26 adults. The results compare favourably with reported values obtained using RIA systems for the native IGF-I molecule. Intra- and inter-assay CV were 3.3 and 7.2% respectively. In childhood, mean +/- SD IGF-I levels rise from 6.0 +/- 3.5 nmol/l in newborns to 16.5 +/- 4.0 nmol/l at 8-11 years in both sexes. At the onset of puberty, IGF-I levels in females (24.9 +/- 6.6 nmol/l) are significantly (P greater than 0.005) higher than in males (17.2 +/- 4.2 nmol/l). With further pubertal development IGF-I levels continue to rise, reaching peak values at pubertal stage P4 (40.6 +/- 4.5 nmol/l in males, 42.8 +/- 5.1 nmol/l in females) and decline thereafter to lower values during adulthood: 16.5 +/- 5.8 nmol/l (males) and 24.2 +/- 7.0 nmol/l (females) (P greater than 0.001). In pubertal males, IGF-I correlates significantly with height (r = 0.66, P less than 0.001), bone age (r = 0.69, P less than 0.001) and growth velocity (r = 0.64, P = 0.025) as well as with testosterone levels (r = 0.69, P less than 0.001). In pubertal females a significant correlation is found between IGF-I and height (r = 0.55, P less than 0.020). The ready availability of a simple, precise and reproducible IGF-I RIA, should contribute much to evaluating the importance of IGF-I measurements in normal growth and in the diagnosis and therapy of various growth disorders.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Responsiveness of pituitary hGH to GRH1-44 in juveniles with obesity.

The response of plasma hGH to an iv bolus injection of GRH1-44 (1 microgram/kg) was studied in 14 obese juveniles with a mean overweight of 4.7 +/- 0.05 standard deviation score (SDS). Two patterns of response were observed: in all 7 adolescents with 'simple' obesity not related to any particular disorder (group A) the response was good (a mean of 11.8 +/- 2.4 ng/ml) whereas in 6 of the 7 juveniles suffering from syndromes associated with obesity (group B) the response was poor (a mean of 3.2 +/- 1.4 ng/ml). This divergence in response could not be related to a difference in the degree of overweight. These results indicate that in group B with syndromes associated with obesity there may also be a pituitary impairment in addition to the hypothalamic defect.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Recurrent hypothermia, hypersomnolence, central sleep apnea, hypodipsia, hypernatremia, hypothyroidism, hyperprolactinemia and growth hormone deficiency in a boy--treatment with clomipramine.

A boy referred at the age of 4 years because of obesity and under observation for 16 years, was found to be suffering from a hypothalamic syndrome of unknown origin characterized by progressive obesity, polyphagia, deficiency of growth and thyroid hormone, hyperprolactinemia, hypodipsia, hypernatremia and hyperosmolality without diabetes insipidus. At ages 11 and 16 there were 3 day episodes of spontaneous muscular weakness, hypersomnolence and hypothermia associated with central sleep apnea and severe bradycardia. Subsequently, decreased ventilatory responsiveness to carbon dioxide (CO2) was found as a consequence of blunted neural drive. Therapy with clomipramine HCl (Anafranil Ciba-Geigy) for 6 months led to a normalization of serum sodium levels, pulse rate, ventilatory response to dioxide with no recurrence of the central apnea within 4 following years.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1985

Growth hormone, somatomedin and prolactin--relationship to brain function.

In recent years it has been found that the brain of several mammals including have receptors for somatomedin both IGF-I and II and measurable hGH has been identified in human brain tissue. IGF-II has been determined in CSF. The presence of these hormones in brain tissue seems to be of developmental and functional importance as experimental studies in frogs, tadpoles and rats showed that injection of growth hormone enhanced brain growth and increased the ratio of neurons to glia. In man early initiation of hGH therapy to children with hGH (who have a less than normal head circumference) induced a fast catch-up growth of the head and improved their IQ. The data available seems to indicate that growth hormones and/or the somatomedins play an important role in the early brain development, maturation and function. In case of hereditary or congenital GH-RH, hGH or somatomedin deficiency, the effectiveness of therapy seems age limited similar to hypothyroidism. The finding of prolactin receptors in human brain and the report of a child with congenital hypoprolactinemia who had mild mental retardation raises the possibility that also prolactin plays a role in brain function.

Animals↗