Increased growth hormone response to clonidine in nonobese normoinsulinemic patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.

OBJECTIVE

To assess growth hormone (GH) levels in response to acute clonidine stimulation in nonobese patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in comparison to patients with idiopathic hirsutism (IH) and normal women without hirsutism.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study. Outpatient clinic, Porto Alegre, Brazil.

PATIENT(S): Fourteen patients with PCOS, 11 women with IH, and 10 age- and weight-matched normal women without hirsutism were studied. All subjects presented normal body mass index (<25 kg/m(2)) and insulin levels (<25 microIU/mL).

INTERVENTION(S): Growth hormone levels were assessed in all patients before and 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after oral administration of 0.3 mg of clonidine.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Growth hormone levels before and after clonidine administration.

RESULT(S): Delta GH and GH levels at 30, 60, and 120 minutes were significantly higher in the PCOS group than in the IH and control groups.

CONCLUSION(S): The greater GH response to clonidine in nonobese normoinsulinemic PCOS patients observed in this study suggests a dysregulation in GH secretion in these patients. Further studies are required to elucidate the role of GH in the pathogenesis of PCOS and to investigate the existence of an association between androgens, IGF-I, and GH modulation in PCOS.