bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
THE HIGHER THE GROWTH HORMONE RESPONSE TO GROWTH HORMONE RELEASING HORMONE THE LOWER THE RESPONSE TO BROMOCRIPTINE AND THYROTROPHIN RELEASING HORMONE IN ACROMEGALY
Authors: SMALS A. E. M. , PIETERS G. F. F. M. , SMALS A. G. H. , HERMUS A. R. M. M. , BENRAAD TH. J. , KLOPPENBORG P. W. C. 
Published: March 2008

SUMMARYIn acromegaly a direct relationship has been demonstrated between GH responsiveness to TRH and to the dopaminergic agent bromocriptine (Br). Recent data show an inverse relationship between GH responsiveness to Br and to GH releasing hormone (GHRH), but not between the GH responses to GHRH and TRH. Thirty‐one acromegalic patients, 18 women and 13 men (age 46‐2 ±(SD) 13 years) were studied. Four patients had been treated, but all still had active disease. The GH responses to GHRH (hpGHRH1‐44 Bachem 100 μg i.v. bolus), TRH (Thyroliberin, Hoechst 200 μg i.v. bolus) and Br (Parlodel 5 mg orally) were assessed in most of the patients. The GH responses to GHRH showed a wide interindividual variation (δGH 1‐995 ng/ml), which correlated significantly with the basal GH levels (r=+0.85, P<0.0001, n= 31). GH increments in response to GHRH were inversely related to the responses to Br, i.e. the lower the GH increase after GHRH the greater the GH decrease after Br (r=−0.49, P<0.01, m= 30). This decrease correlated with the basal PRL level (r=+0.45, P<0.02, n= 29) and also the GH response to TRH (r=+0.66, P <0.0001, n= 30). An inverse correlation was also found between the GH responses to TRH and to GHRH (r=−0.43, P < 0.02, n= 29). The data are consistent with the existence of GH‐secreting adenomas which are more sensitive to GHRH and less to Br and TRH (pure somatotroph adenomas) and of mixed (lactotroph‐like adenomas) responsive to TRH and Br but less responsive to GHRH.
THYROTROPHIN RELEASING HORMONE INDUCED CALCITONIN SECRETION IN PATIENTS WITH MEDULLARY CARCINOMA OF THE THYROID
Authors: NAKAMURA H. , SOMEDA H. , MORI T. , IMURA H. 
Published: March 2008

SUMMARYAn i.v. bolus injection of 500 μg TRH caused a prompt increase in plasma calcitonin (CT) in two patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). In case 1 with a sporadic MTC, plasma CT increased from 0.32 ng/ml to 0.70 ng/ml 2 min after TRH. In the second case with multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type II, plasma CT increased from 0.39 ng/ml to 4.7 ng/ml 2 min after the injection. None of five normal healthy subjects and a patient with thyroid follicular adenocarcinoma had significant changes in plasma CT levels after TRH. Studies with monolayer cultures of MTC cells derived from one patient revealed that TRH stimulated CT release. Incubation of the cells with TRH of 10−6m or 10−5m for 1 h increased CT concentration in the medium to 140% or 182% of the control level, respectively. Under the same conditions, pentagastin (10−6m) increased CT concentration in the medium to 156%. These results indicate the direct stimulatory effect of TRH on CT secretion in the patients with MTC.
EFFECT OF THYROXINE REPLACEMENT THERAPY ON PLASMA INSULIN‐LIKE GROWTH FACTOR 1 LEVELS AND GROWTH HORMONE RESPONSES TO GROWTH HORMONE RELEASING FACTOR IN HYPOTHYROID PATIENTS
Authors: VALCAVI R. , DIEGUEZ C. , PREECE M. , TAYLOR A. , PORTIOLI I. , SCANLON M. F. 
Published: March 2008

SUMMARYThe aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of T4 replacement therapy on plasma insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF‐1) levels in patients with primary hypothyroidism to see whether recovery of pituitary GH responsiveness to GRF was associated with increased plasma IGF‐1 levels. IGF‐1 levels and GH responses to GRF (1 μg/kg) were measured in 21 patients with primary hypothyroidism before and after T4 replacement therapy. T4 increased plasma IGF‐1 levels (57.2 ± 4.4 vs 75.9 ± 8‐8 ng/ml, mean ± SEM, P<0.05) and GH responses to GRF as assessed both by peak GH levels (9 ± 1.5 ng/ml before treatment vs 16.7 ± 3 ng/ml after treatment, mean ± SEM, P <0.05) and area under curve (496 ± 92 before treatment vs 896 ± 161 after treatment, mean‐± SEM, P < 0.05). Linear regression analysis showed a positive correlation between free T3 and IGF‐1 levels after treatment (r= 0‐37, P <0.05) and a negative relationship between plasma IGF‐1 levels before treatment and a IGF following T4 replacement therapy (r= 0.45, P < 0.025). However, no correlation was found between plasma IGF‐1 levels and GH responses to GRF, suggesting that GH responses to GRF are of no predictive value in relation to the recovery of plasma’ IGF‐1 levels following T4 replacement therapy in hypothyroid patients.
SERIAL SERUM THYROGLOBULIN MEASUREMENTS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF DIFFERENTIATED THYROID CARCINOMA
Authors: BLACK E. G. , SHEPPARD M. C. , HOFFENBERG R. 
Published: March 2008

SUMMARYSerum thyreoglobulin (Tg) was measured on repeated occasions in 416 patients with differentiated thyroid cancer for up to 7 years after initial therapy. All patients had thyroidectomy and/or ablative 131I therapy and all measurements were done while patients were receiving T4 replacement. Tg was measured using a double‐antibody radioimmunoassay. Overall correlation between serum Tg concentration and presence or absence of cancer was 95‐9%. At the time of initial measurement 295 patients had serum Tg <5 μg/1, and in the latest analysis only 1‐7% of these patients showed evidence of disease. Initially there were 19 patients of a total of 121 with serum Tg > 5 μg/l in whom no cancer was apparent. In eight of these 19 subjects recurrent or metastatic disease has been diagnosed up to 3‐5 years after the first measurement indicating that in these cases serum Tg values were ‘predictive’. Serum Tg appears to be a sensitive and specific means of detecting residual, recurrent or metastatic thyroid cancer and in most situations can replace routine, expensive and inconvenient radioactive thyroid scans; these should be performed when serum Tg values are elevated or when there is clinical evidence suggesting recurrence.
DYNAMIC TESTS OF PARATHYROID FUNCTION FOR DIAGNOSIS OF PRIMARY HYPERPARATHYROIDISM IN MALIGNANCY
Authors: LJUNGHALL S. , BENSON L. , RASTAD J. , WIDE L , AKERSTROM G. 
Published: March 2008

SUMMARYHypercalcaemia can be caused by malignant diseases as well as by primary hyperparathyroidism (HPT). The two disorders may occur together and an accurate discrimination between them is sometimes not possible from basal measurements of calcium and parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations. In primary HPT the regulation of PTH secretion is maintained, albeit the set‐point is shifted to a hypercalcaemic value. Therefore, when serum calcium is lowered by ethylene diamine tetra‐acetic acid (EDTA) infusions or calcitonin injections, patients with primary HPT display enhanced secretion of PTH already within the hypercalcaemic range, whereas parathyroid function remains suppressed in malignancy‐associated hypercalcaemia. Tests based on this principle enable a specific identification of HPT. The present report describes eight hypercalcaemic patients with disseminated malignancy where HPT could be diagnosed by the use of such stimulatory tests.
GROWTH HORMONE HYPERRESPONSIVENESS TO GROWTH HORMONE‐RELEASING HORMONE IN PATIENTS WITH SEVERE LIVER CIRRHOSIS
Authors: SALERNO F. , LOCATELLI V. , MÜLLER E. E. 
Published: March 2008

SUMMARYPatients with severe liver disease often have high baseline plasma GH levels and/ or paradoxical GH release in response to several secretagogues, e.g. TRH. In this paper, we have investigated in a group of cirrhotic patients the GH response to GH‐releasing hormone (GHRH) and evaluated the effectiveness of GHRH to cause GH release in TRH responder and non‐responder patients. Ten patients and seven age‐ and sex‐matched control subjects were given bolus injections of GHRH (01 and 1.0 μg/kg i.v. on separate occasions). GHRH 01 μg/kg failed to cause a GH response in both control and cirrhotic subjects, but 1 ‐0 μg/kg caused a significantly higher GH response in patients than in controls. Evaluation of the GH response curve after GHRH revealed a similar pattern of secretion in the TRH‐responders (four subjects) and non‐responders (six subjects). These results suggest that the enhanced GH responsiveness to GHRH in cirrhotic patients may contribute to their high baseline GH levels and/or secretory rate, and the mechanism(s) of the paradoxical GH rise after TRH seems to be separate from that for GH hyperresponsiveness to GHRH.
THE EFFECT OF GLUCOCORTICOIDS ON CORTICOSTEROID BINDING GLOBULIN
Authors: SCHLECHTE J. A. , HAMILTON D. 
Published: March 2008

SUMMARYTo evaluate the effect of glucocorticoids on corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG), we measured the binding capacity and binding affinity of Cortisol for CBG in normal subjects, patients receiving glucocorticoids and patients with Cushing's syndrome. Normal subjects had a mean binding capacity of 3.8 (±SD 0.7) ± 10‐7 mol/l and mean binding affinity of 1.96 ± 0.48 ± 10‐8 M. Patients with Cushing's syndrome had a 40% decrease in binding capacity (2.3±0.4 ± 10‐7 mol/l) compared to control subjects and significantly lower mean binding capacity than patients receiving pharmacological (2.9 ± 0.6 ± 10‐7 mol/l) and physiological doses of glucocorticoids (3.4 ± 0.6 ± 10‐7 mol/l) (P= 0.05 one‐way analysis of variance). Patients with endogenous Cortisol excess also had significantly lower mean binding affinity (1.54 ± 0.37 ± 10‐8 M) than normal subjects and glucocorticoid treated subjects. These changes suggest that both endogenous and exogenous glucocorticoids can modulate circulating levels of CBG and may have important implications for patients receiving steroid therapy.
GROWTH HORMONE BLOCKING ANTIBODIES IN A PATIENT WITH DELETION OF THE GH‐N GENE
Authors: SCHWARZ S. , BERGER P. , FRISCH H. , MONCAYO R. , PHILLIPS J. A. , WICK G. 
Published: March 2008

SUMMARYWe present another patient with the rare disorder of isolated GH deficiency (IGHD) type 1 A. The diagnosis was confirmed by the clinical course, serology and genetic structure. Analysis of the post GH treatment serum of this patient with several thoroughly characterized monoclonal antibodies against GH established the presence of polyclonal, high titre and high avidity IgG‐class antibodies against GH. These had the ability to neutralize GH as they could inhibit the binding of radiolabelled GH to GH‐receptors on IM9 lymphoblastoid cells. DNA restriction mapping indicated a deletion of the GH‐N gene and a family DNA pattern that was consistent with the proposed autosomal recessive aetiology of this disorder. These findings explain the inability of this patient to synthesize GH and his total immunological intolerance to GH replacement therapy.
DISTURBANCES OF THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE IN BULIMIA NERVOSA
Authors: PIRKE K. M. , FICHTER M. M. , CHLOND C. , SCHWEIGER U. , LAESSLE R. G. , SCHWINGENSCHLOEGEL M. , HOEHL C. 
Published: March 2008

SUMMARYBlood was obtained three times a week throughout one menstrual cycle or during a 6‐week period from 15 patients with bulimia nervosa and from 10 healthy age‐matched controls. Of the patients, three had amenorrhoea, eight had oligomenorrhoea and four had regular cycles. Normal follicular development, as judged from continuously low oestradiol (E2) values (<120 pg/ml or <440 pmol/1), did not occur in seven patients. Compared to patients with increasing E2 values (> 120 pg/ml), these seven had a significantly lower body weight. Among the eight patients showing follicular development (E2 > 120 pg/ ml), four reported regular cycles, but only three developed normal plasma progesterone (P4) values during the luteal phase (P4 > 3 ng/ml or > 9.5 nmol/1). The luteal phase was of normal length in only one bulimic patient.
EFFECT OF OBESITY AND WEIGHT LOSS ON THE ARGININE VASOPRESSIN RESPONSE TO INSULIN‐INDUCED HYPOGLYCAEMIA
Authors: COIRO V. , CHIODERA P. 
Published: March 2008

SUMMARYArginine vasopressin (AVP) response to insulin‐induced hypoglycaemia was evaluated in 16 men with normal weight and in 9 obese men. Obese subjects were restudied following substantial weight loss. The decrease in blood glucose concentrations after insulin injection (0‐15 U/kg i.v. bolus) had a similar pattern and magnitude in the normal controls and in the obese subjects both before and after weight loss. Basal plasma insulin concentrations in the obese patients were significantly higher than in the normal weight subjects, but were back to normal after weight reduction. During all tests, blood osmolality, haematocrit and blood pressure remained constant. The AVP rise during the insulin tolerance test (ITT) was significantly lower in the obese patients than in the normal controls. The mean peak plasma AVP level was 2.3 times higher than the basal value in the normal controls, but only 1.6 times in the obese patients. After weight loss, the obese men regained normal AVP responses during the ITT. These data indicate that a hypothalamic pituitary disorder affects the AVP response to insulin‐induced hypoglycaemia in obese men.
EFFECT OF PREDNISOLONE AND SALICYLATE ON SERUM THYROGLOBULIN LEVEL IN PATIENTS WITH SUBACUTE THYROIDITIS
Authors: YAMAMOTO M. , SAITO S. , SAKURADA T. , FUKAZAWA H. , YOSHIDA K. , KAISE K. , KAISE N. , NOMURA T. , ITAGAKI Y. , YONEMITSU K. , YOSHINAGA K. 
Published: March 2008

SUMMARYTwelve patients with subacute thyroiditis were divided into two groups and treated with prednisolone or salicylate. The initially elevated T4, T3, free T4 (FT4), free T3 (FT3) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were reduced during the early phase within about 4 weeks in both groups. The serum levels of thyroglobulin (Tg) were elevated in both groups treated with salicylate and prednisolone (252 ± SD 117 ng/ml and 233 ± SD 157 ng/ml, respectively) at initial examination. The serum level of Tg declined during the early phase with prednisolone treatment, and it reached normal values at the end of the early phase (17 ± SD 15 ng/ml). With salicylate treatment, the decline of levels of Tg was delayed and it was elevated (80 ± SD 34 ng/ml) despite normal levels of thyroid hormones and ESR at the end of early phase. The serum level of Tg at the end of the early phase of prednisolone treated was significantly lower than that of salicylate treatment (P<001). It is suggested that the effect of prednisolone on rapid decrease of Tg may be related to its inhibitory action of intrathyroid hydrolysis.
THE EFFECT OF ORAL GLUCOSE ON THE LEUCOCYTE SODIUM PUMP IN NORMAL AND OBESE SUBJECTS
Authors: NG L. L. , HOCKADAY T. D. R. 
Published: March 2008

SUMMARYThe effect of oral glucose (40 g/m2 body surface area) on the leucocyte 22Na efflux rate constants (ERC) was studied in 13 normal weight and 10 obese subjects. The ouabain‐sensitive 22Na ERC was higher in leucocytes isolated from fasting obese subjects (median [range] for obese 2.77 [2.33‐3.11] vs normals 1.91 [1.57‐2.77] h‐1, P&0.001). There was no difference in the ouabain‐resistant 22Na ERC. Oral glucose raised the ouabain‐sensitive 22Na ERC after 2 h in normal subjects (1.91 [1.57‐2.77] to 2.41 [2.11‐3.02] h‐1, P&0.001). The ouabain‐resistant 22Na ERC fell from 0.71 [0.32‐1.10] to 0.46 [0.35‐0.68] h‐1, P &0.008. Conversely, in obese subjects, the ouabain‐sensitive ERC fell (2.77 [2.33‐3.11] to 2.59 [2.11‐2.92] h‐1, P&0‐06). There was no significant change in ouabain‐resistant 22Na ERC 2 h after oral glucose. The fasting leucocyte 22Na ouabain‐sensitive ERC correlated with fasting plasma insulin levels and insulin resistance (rs= 0.48, P&0.01 for both). The change in this ERC with oral glucose correlated with the incremental insulin response over 2 h (rs= ‐0.53, P&0‐006) and to the insulin resistance (rs= ‐0.56, P&0.003). The failure of oral glucose to stimulate the leucocyte sodium pump in obesity could partially account for the defect in dietary thermogenesis in obesity. This defect in stimulation of the sodium pump is related to insulin resistance.
PHYSIOLOGICAL GROWTH HORMONE SECRETION DURING SLOW‐WAVE SLEEP IN SHORT PREPUBERTAL CHILDREN
Authors: ADLARD P. , BUZI F. , JONES J. , STANHOPE R. , PREECE M. A. 
Published: March 2008

SUMMARYThe usefulness of a limited nocturnal GH profile has been evaluated for the assessment of physiological GH secretion. We have analysed the complete overnight GH and sleep profiles of 20 short prepubertal children, sampled at 15‐min intervals. The mean age was 9.1 years (range 4.3‐11.7 years) and mean height velocity standard deviation score (SDS) ‐ 1 0 (range ‐ 2.4 to + 0.4). The sleep stage in which the maximal GH value was reached varied considerably between the patients. Only 55% achieved the maximal GH value during the first slow‐wave sleep period, and 65% in the first 2 h of sleep. The maximal values during the first slow‐wave period correlated weakly with the sum of the nocturnal peak values and the total area under the curve of the complete GH profile. None of these parameters correlated with height velocity. We conclude that at present there is no substitute for complete overnight or 24 h GH profiles for the assessment of physiological GH secretion, but the clinical significance of the variations seen remains unclear.
THE EFFECT OF o,p'‐DDD ON ADRENAL STEROID REPLACEMENT THERAPY REQUIREMENTS
Authors: ROBINSON B. G. , HALES I. B. , HENNIKER A. J. , HO K. , LUTTRELL B. M. , SMEE I. R. , STIEL J. N. 
Published: March 2008

SUMMARYTwo patients with adrenal carcinoma treated with 2,2‐bis (2‐chlorophenyl‐4‐chlorophenyl)‐1, 1‐dichloroethane (o, p'‐DDD) as adjuvant therapy were studied. Both patients developed hypoadrenalism while on o, p'‐DDD and apparently adequate dexamethasone replacement therapy. The hypoadrenalism was overcome by increasing steroid replacement therapy. Dexamethasone levels were measured in the serum by radioimmunoassay and shown to be lowered by o, p'‐DDD therapy. A study of the absorption and disappearance of dexamethasone from the circulation in response to a (1 mg oral dose indicated that the steroid was absorbed normally but was cleared more rapidly from the circulation of these two patients than from normal controls. This may be due to a change in the type of metabolites excreted. It is suggested that many of the reported side‐effects of o,p'‐DDD may be due to hypoadrenalism and may be controlled by greatly increasing the steroid replacement dose. The adequacy of corticosteroid replacement therapy may best be assessed by monitoring the levels of ACTH.
THE CORRELATION BETWEEN SERUM AND SALIVARY MELATONIN CONCENTRATIONS AND URINARY 6‐HYDROXYMELATONIN SULPHATE EXCRETION RATES: TWO NON‐INVASIVE TECHNIQUES FOR MONITORING HUMAN CIRCADIAN RHYTHMICITY
Authors: NOWAK R. , MCMILLEN I. C. , REDMAN J. , SHORT R. V. 
Published: March 2008

SUMMARYAthough there is a circadian rhythm in blood melatonin concentrations in humans, the problems associated with frequent blood collection limit the use of this rhythm in the investigation of the circadian system and in the diagnosis and treatment of chronobiological disorders. Therefore, to establish a convenient, non‐invasive technique for monitoring melatonin circadian rhythmicity, we compared the melatonin concentrations in blood samples collected from five subjects every 2‐4 h over a 26 h period, with the melatonin concentrations in saliva samples and with the total amount of 6‐hydroxymelatonin sulphate excreted in the urine during 2‐h periods. There was significant correlation between serum and salivary melatonin concentrations (r= 0.81, P < 0.001), and between serum melatonin concentrations and 6‐hydroxymelatonin sulphate excretion rates (r= 0‐72, P<0001). The results demonstrate that both salivary melatonin concentrations and urinary 6‐hydroxymelatonin sulphate excretion rates are reliable indices of serum melatonin concentrations. These measurements, in combination with frequent sample collection, provide two convenient, non‐invasive techniques for monitoring melatonin circadian rhythmicity.
NON‐ADENOMATOUS INAPPROPRIATE TSH HYPERSECRETION AND EUTHYROIDISM REQUIRES NO TREATMENT
Authors: HUGHES I. A. , ICHIKAWA K. , DEGROOT L. J. , JOHN R. , JONES M. K. , HALL R. , SCANLON M. F. 
Published: March 2008

SUMMARYThe syndrome of inappropriate TSH secretion is described in a euthyroid girl and her father. Based on nuclear T3 binding studies in fibroblasts, generalized tissue resistance was associated with a lower binding affinity for T3 in nuclear extracts suggestive of a structurally abnormal receptor for T3. Early recognition of the syndrome and observation of the short‐term response to thyroid medication prevented unnecessary trials of antithyroid medication and later radical ablative thyroid treatment.
THE EFFECT OF ANDROGEN BLOCKADE ON PULSATILE GONADOTROPHIN RELEASE AND LH RESPONSE TO NALOXONE
Authors: BALZANO S. , MIGLIARI R. , SICA V. , SCARPA R. M. , PINTUS C. , LOVISELLI A. , And E. USAI , BALESTRIERI A. 
Published: March 2008

SUMMARYIn order to clarify the effects of androgen blockade on the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐testicular axis in man, four patients with advanced prostate cancer, not previously treated, were given oral flutamide, 250 mg three times daily for 9 days. Before, and 7, 8 and 9 days after starting flutamide treatment, on separate days, the following tests were performed: a gonadotrophin pulsatility study, with 20 min interval blood sampling for 12 h, a naloxone test and a GnRH test. Flutamide induced a significant increase in both LH and FSH pulse frequency, while pulse amplitudes and plasma integrated concentrations (IC) of LH and FSH were unaffected. Plasma integrated concentrations of testosterone and oestradiol rose significantly, while that of prolactin was unaffected. The increase in plasma LH concentration induced by naloxone injection was abolished by flutamide treatment. On the other hand, the small FSH response to naloxone was unaffected by flutamide treatment. Response to GnRH was unaffected by flutamide. These results suggest that flutamide exerts effective androgen blockade at the hypothalamic level, since, despite increased plasma testosterone concentrations, gonadotrophin pulse frequency increased and the LH response to naloxone was abolished.
FASTING CALCIUM EXCRETION AND PARATHYROID HORMONE TOGETHER DISTINGUISH FAMILIAL HYPOCALCIURIC HYPERCALCAEMIA FROM PRIMARY HYPERPARATHYROIDISM
Authors: STUCKEY B. G. A. , KENT G. N. , GUTTERIDGE D. H. , PULLAN P. T. , PRICE R. I. , BHAGAT C. 
Published: March 2008

SUMMARYRoutine estimation of plasma calcium has made the finding of asymptomatic hypercalcaemia a frequent occurrence. A high index of suspicion for familial hypocalciuric hypercalcaemia (FHH) will lead to accurate diagnosis and avoidance of unnecessary parathyroid surgery. Four FHH kindreds with 16 hypercalcaemic members were found in an unselected referral population over 3 years. Differentiation from primary hyperparathyroidism (42 patients in the same period) was facilitated by analysis of fasting blood and urine for renal handling of calcium, phosphate and cyclic AMP. We found that a plot of serum PTH against fasting calcium excretion separated all cases of each disorder. The discriminatory power of these two variables was confirmed by multivariate discriminant function analysis. An elevated plasma chloride was found to be common to both diseases and of no value in differentiation.
MULTIPLE SYMMETRIC LIPOMATOSIS (LAUNOIS‐BENSAUDE SYNDROME): EFFECT OF ORAL SALBUTAMOL
Authors: LEUNG N. W. Y. , GAER J. , BEGGS D. , KARK A. E. , HOLLOWAY B. , PETERS T. J. 
Published: March 2008

SUMMARYA 65‐year‐old Kenyan Asian developed rapidly progressive multiple symetrical lipomatosis over 8 years. Noradrenaline infusion showed a normal response of plasma free fatty acids. In‐vitro studies of the lipomatous tissue demonstrated intact lipolytic activities with a normal rate of free fatty acids release and cyclic AMP accumulation with or without isoprenaline and fenoterol stimulation. A clinical trial of oral salbutamol, a β2‐agonist, was performed with significant therapeutic effect. The body fat mass showed a reversal of the rapid progression while on the treatment, associated with an increase in the resting metabolic rate.