At puberty, elevated circulating GH concentrations are found, with a parallel increase in the levels of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). However, these hormonal changes are less well understood in children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) during the peripubertal years. Since the metabolic derangement is often associated with elevated circulating GH and diminished serum IGF-I levels, we sought to determine whether similar alterations occur in boys with IDDM. A multiple parameter deconvolution analysis was applied to serum GH concentrations measured at 20-min intervals for 24 h in 25 boys with IDDM. Subjects were divided into 3 pubertal groups, pre (n = 9), early (n = 8), and late (n = 11), according to Tanner stage. Glycosylated hemoglobin and body mass index-SD scores were indistinguishable among groups. Forty nondiabetic peripubertal boys served as controls. Similar to those in the normal boys, circulating GH concentrations and serum IGF-I levels increased during puberty in the boys with IDDM. The augmented circulating GH concentrations occur due to an increase in GH secretion, as determined by calculated daily GH production rates (760 +/- 119 vs. 1025 +/- 121 vs. 1821 +/- 266 micrograms/day, respectively for the 3 groups). IGF-I levels were decreased in prepuberty in the boys with IDDM and were overcome with increasing pubertal development (0.68 +/- 0.13 vs. 0.78 +/- 0.11 vs. 1.53 +/- 0.20 U/mL; P < 0.05). There was an increase in the maximal rate of GH secretion per burst (amplitude) during prepuberty (0.54 +/- 0.05 vs. 0.88 +/- 0.17 microgram/L.min, control vs. IDDM; P = 0.03) and early puberty (0.64 +/- 0.10 vs. 0.88 +/- 0.10 microgram/L.min; p = 0.04). The differences in amplitude between the controls and the boys with IDDM were absent once puberty was well established (1.00 +/- 0.10 vs. 1.02 +/- 0.14 microgram/L.min; P > 0.05). The metabolic clearance of GH was increased in the late pubertal boys with IDDM compared to that in their controls (GH half-life, 24.0 +/- 1.0 in control vs. 19.8 +/- 0.5 min in diabetics; P = 0.006). We conclude that comparable increments in GH secretion and serum IGF-I levels in boys with IDDM in moderate glycemic control and controls are presumably related to increased levels of testosterone in both groups. However, differences exist with respect to GH secretory burst amplitude (augmented) and serum IGF-I concentrations (decreased) before puberty is reached. These alterations disappear with the establishment of puberty.