Friedreich's ataxia and oral glucose tolerance: II. The effect of ingested glucose on serum growth hormone in homozygotes, obligate heterozygotes and potential carriers of the Friedreich's ataxia gene.

Homozygotes, obligatory heterozygotes and potential carriers of the Friedreich's Ataxia gene were tested with an oral glucose tolerance in order to assess a. the prevalence of abnormalities in glucose handling, b. the secretory pattern of two "diabetogenic" hormones, growth hormones and prolactin and c. to evaluate the possibility for detection of an abnormal trend in these hormones to be used as a genetic marker. Despite the high prevalence of glucose abnormalities horizontally and vertically in these families, the basal output and responses of these metabolic hormones to a glucose challenge were appropriate and thus not characteristic of any of the above groups.