A 24-h profile of plasma GH concentrations was obtained together with polygraphic recordings of sleep in 16 @entity1 suffering from a major @entity308 (8 unipolar and 8 bipolar) and in 8 age- and sex-matched normal @entity1 . None of the @entity1 had any @entity221 . All were studied after a drug-free period of at least 15 days. Blood was sampled every 15 min. The amount of GH released in every significant secretory spike was estimated using a computer program. Both @entity162 @entity1 secreted more GH than normal @entity1 (mean +/- SD, 441 +/- 189 micrograms/24 h for @entity308 @entity1 ; 357 +/- 143 micrograms/24 h for @entity162 @entity1 vs. 172 +/- 101 micrograms/24 h for normal @entity1 (P less than 0.01). This hypersecretion occurred during waking hours rather than during sleep. The increase in daytime GH release was more marked in @entity308 @entity1 . During sleep, @entity308 @entity1 and normal @entity1 secreted similar amounts of GH despite an overall reduction in slow wave stages in @entity308 @entity1 . An early sleep GH increase was found in all but one of the normal @entity1 , but was absent in seven of the eight @entity308 @entity1 , who had, instead, a presleep increase in between 2100-0000 h. No consistent disturbance of the temporal association between sleep onset and GH secretion was found in @entity162 @entity1 .

Diurnal hypersecretion of growth hormone in XXXX .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'men'] @entity162 :: ('MESH:D001714', 'Disease') :: ['unipolar and bipolar depressed', 'bipolar depressed'] @entity308 :: ('MESH:D003866', 'Disease') :: ['depressive disorder', 'unipolar depressed', 'depressed'] @entity221 :: ('MESH:D005334', 'Disease') :: ['physical illness']
@entity308 :: (MESH:D003866,Disease) :: ['depression']
