Abstract
Eight patients with idiopathic hypopituitarism were studied to evaluate changes in hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid function during the course of their therapy with hGH. Before treatment, 5 patients were in an euthyroid state with normal serum thyroxine (T4) levels and normal TSH response to TSH-releasing hormone (TRH) (group I), while 3 patients was associated with hypothalamic hypothyroidism (group II). Overall observation period was 6–14 months. Following 1–2 months of hGH therapy, serum T4-I concentrations decreased below the initial level both in group I and II (84 ± 23% and 60 ± 20% of the initial value, respectively, P < 0.05). However, patients of group I showed a prompt rise in serum triiodothyronine (T3) level, resulting in marked elevation of T3/T4 ratio and acceleration of growth, whereas in group II serum T3 remained unchanged at the previous level without promotion of growth rate (180 ± 40% vs. 105 ± 13%, P < 0.001). After L-T4 replacement for the latter, gradual increase in serum T3 with conc...
Published Version
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