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Genetic Control of 24-Hour Growth Hormone Secretion in Man: A Twin Study¹

Department of Psychiatry and Sleep Laboratory, Erasme Hospital (J.M., P.L., M.K.), Center for the Study of Biological Rhythms (R.L., G.C.), Laboratory of Experimental Medicine (G.C.), Université Libre de Bruxelles, B-1070 Brussels, Belgium; and the Department of Medicine, University of Chicago (E.V.C.), Chicago, Illinois 60637

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Julien Mendlewicz, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Psychiatry, Erasme Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 808 route de Lennik, B-1070 Brussels, Belgium. E-mail: jmendlew{at}ulb.ac.be

The aim of this study was to delineate the contributions of genetic and environmental factors in the regulation of the 24-h GH secretion. The 24-h profile of plasma GH was obtained at 15-min intervals in 10 pairs of monozygotic and 9 pairs of dizygotic normal male twins, aged 16–34 yr. Sleep was polygraphically monitored. Significant pulses of GH secretion were identified using a modification of the computer algorithm ULTRA. For each significant pulse, the amount of GH secreted was calculated by deconvolution. A procedure specially developed for twin studies was used to partition the variance of investigated parameters into genetic and environmental contributions. A major genetic effect was evidenced on GH secretion during wakefulness (with a heritability estimate of 0.74) and, to a lesser extent, on the 24-h GH secretion. Significant genetic influences were also identified for slow wave sleep and height. These data demonstrate that human GH secretion in young adulthood is markedly dependent on genetic factors.

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