Growth and growth hormone. 3. Growth hormone release in children with primary hypothyroidism and thyrotoxicosis.

Abstract

ABSTRACT Growth hormone release was assessed utilizing insulin-induced hypoglycemia and arginine infusion in 13 children with primary hypothyroidism and in 10 patients with thyrotoxicosis. In the hypothyroid group there were 6 blunted and 7 normal responses, with a mean peak concentration of serum growth hormone (SGH) of 7.9 ng/ml which differed significantly from the controls (p<.02). The hypothyroid patients also exhibited a delayed peak in SGH compared to normal subjects. There was no correlation between the severity or duration of the hypothyroidism and growth hormone response. It was shown that thyroid deficiency is inconstantly associated with an abnormal growth hormone response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia and arginine infusion which was reversible after treatment with thyroid hormone. The impaired growth hormone release found in some patients with primary hypothyroidism may be indistinguishable from that observed in hypo pituitary subjects. The growth hormone response in the group of children w...