The pros and cons of sex steroid priming in growth hormone stimulation testing.

Diagnosing growth hormone deficiency (GHD) remains a challenge, and the role of sex steroid priming in the diagnosis of GHD continues to be debated. This review examines existing data on sex steroid priming during GHD diagnosis. Primary literature was reviewed in the area of sex steroid priming and growth hormone stimulation tests.

Failure to recover somatotropic axis function is associated with mortality from pediatric sepsis-induced multiple organ dysfunction syndrome.

Objectives: To describe the associations between mediators of the somatotropic axis and mortality from sepsis-induced multiple organ dysfunction syndrome in children; and to examine the relationship between immune function and the somatotropic axis in this setting.

Design: Retrospective study using banked plasma.

Setting: Single mixed surgical/medical intensive care unit at a quaternary level children's hospital.

Insulin-like growth factor I stimulates telomerase activity in prostate cancer cells.

IGF-I has been implicated in the pathogenesis of human cancer. We sought to establish a role for IGF-I in the regulation of telomerase, an enzyme critically involved in cancer cell immortalization. Telomerase activity was assayed in LAPC-4, PC-3, and DU-145 prostate cancer cell lines treated with and without IGF-I/IGF-I analogs.

Novel stimulatory role for insulin-like growth factor binding protein-2 in prostate cancer cells.

The insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis is a complex system composed of 2 mitogenic ligands, IGF-I and -II, 2 receptors, IGF-1R and IGF-2R, and 6 binding proteins, IGFBP-1 to -6. The IGFBPs exert their actions through their regulation of IGF bioavailability for IGF receptors. In addition, some IGFBPs have also been found to have direct cellular actions independent of IGFs.