Growth hormone and cortisol secretion in patients with burn injury.

A prospective study of growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), and cortisol secretion was undertaken in six adults with burn injury. Serum concentrations of growth hormone and IGF-1 were low in all patients during the first 2 weeks of hospitalization. The mean growth hormone level was 4.35 +/- 0.83 micrograms/L on day 1 and 1.70 +/- 0.50 micrograms/L on day 13. The mean serum concentration of IGF-1, which reflects overall growth hormone secretion, was 0.43 +/- 0.09 U/ml on day 1 and 0.61 +/- 0.11 U/ml on day 13; these values are distinctly low. After 3 to 4 weeks, IGF-1 concentrations increased to the mid-normal range, whereas growth hormone values did not change. Morning plasma cortisol concentrations were modestly elevated; however, urine free cortisol concentrations, which reflect total cortisol secretion, were elevated 2 to 28 times above normal values at the time of admission (mean, 443.5 +/- 323.7 nmol/L). Urinary free cortisol concentrations remained elevated after 2 weeks (mean, 230.5 +/- 94.5 nmol/L). Patients with burn injury have inappropriately low growth hormone secretion and IGF-1 production in spite of the stress of the injury and more than adequate nutritional therapy.