The state of the sympathetic-adrenal system in patients with hypothalamic syndrome of puberty

Abstract

Twenty-nine male patients with the hypothalamic syndrome of puberty and 13 healthy controls aged 15 to 23 were examined in order to elucidate the contribution of the sympathoadrenal system to the pathogenesis of arterial hypertension in this patient population. The sympathoadrenal activity was assessed from the level of dopamine, noradrenalin, and adrenalin in the blood plasma measured by high-pressure liquid chromatography using highly sensitive detectors. Adrenalin level was significantly decreased in the patients with arterial hypertension, probably because of suppression of phenylethanol methyltransferase, which may indicate that the sympathoadrenal system does not participate in the development and stabilization of arterial hypertension in patients with the hypothalamic syndrome of puberty. Noradrenalin level was reliably decreased in the patients with body weight index of more than 35.0 kg/m², probably due to suppression of thyrosine hydroxylase, whose activity regulates corticotropin. Catecholamine level did not depend on the disease duration, standing of hypertension, or stage of obesity.