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Decreased 6-Sulfatoxymelatonin Excretion in Male GH-Deficient Children and Adolescents

Aim: To evaluate melatonin secretion in a group of untreated and treated male growth hormone (GH)-deficient children and adolescents. Methods: We studied 44 male subjects: 8 untreated GH-deficient patients (GHDnt), 16 treated GH-deficient patients (GHDt) and 20 healthy children and adolescents as control group (CG). We measured urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (6-SM) in total (24-hour samples), nocturnal (18.00-8.00 h) and diurnal samples (8.00-18.00 h). Levels of 6-SM were expressed as micrograms excreted per time interval and Δ values (difference between nighttime and daytime values). Results: Significant differences were observed among the 3 groups of pediatric subjects studied for total 6-SM (p < 0.0001), nocturnal 6-SM (p < 0.0001) and Δ values (p < 0.0001). Subsequent analysis showed significantly higher levels for total 6-SM, nocturnal 6-SM and nighttime-daytime Δ in the CG versus the GHDnt (p < 0.01) and in the CG versus the GHDt group (p < 0.01). No significant correlations were found between 6-SM excretion and insulin-like growth factor-1 values in the children and adolescents studied. Conclusions: GH-deficient patients showed lower levels of 6-SM. Our findings provide a different insight to a further understanding of some chronobiological disorders involved in GH deficiency in children.