title: Some aspects of hypothalamic-pituitary function in patients with anorexia nervosa.
abstract: The secretion of lutenizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), thyrotrophin (TSH) and prolactin (PRL, was studied in 17 women suffering from anorexia nervosa. The mean basal serum LH was reduced (8.4 +/- 0.8 SE mIU/ml; P less than 0.001 vs normal controls), while LH increase after gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (LH-RH) appeared to be normal in 9 cases and impaired in 6 cases. The mean basal FSH did not significantly differ from normal subjects (3.9 +/- 0.5 mIU/ml), while LH-RH administration elicited an exaggerated increase in 7 cases and a normal increase in 8 cases: the mean FSH response was significantly higher than in controls (P less than 0.02). Plasma oestradiol-17beta was reduced (20.4 +/- 0.4 pg/ml; P less than 0.001) while the serum testosterone levels were normal (0.73 +/- 0.09 ng/ml). Clomiphene administration induced an increase in gonadotrophins in only 1 out of 7 patients. The mean serum TSH concentration was normal (2.3 +/- 0.4 muU/ml), while serum thyroxine and triiodothyronine and free thyroxine index, thought generally in the normal range, were significantly lower than values obtained in a control group (6.1 +/- 0.4 mug/100 ml, P less than 0.005; 102.3 +/- 7.7 ng/100 ml, P less than 0.005; 3.8 +/- 0.3, P less than 0.05). Though the mean serum TSH increase after thyrotrophin-releasing hormone (TRH) was normal (12.0 +/- 2.3 muU/ml), there were 4 impaired and 1 exaggerated increases, and 8 patients showed a delayed and frequently prolonged response. The increase in serum T3 after TRH appeared lower than in normal subjects (36.3 +/- 1.8 ng/100 ml, P less than 0.001). Serum PRL levels in basal conditions were higher than in the controls (19.4 +/- 4.1 ng/ml, P less than 0.001) while the increase in PRL after TRH was exaggerated in only 2 patients. The present data suggest that the primary failure in gonadotrophin secretion in anorexia nervosa occurs at hypothalamic level; moreover the data on TSH and PRL secretion also point to the existence of a hypothalamic disorder in this disease.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002996:Clomiphene / Q000494:pharmacology; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010908:Pituitary Hormones, Anterior / Q000378:metabolism*; D011388:Prolactin / Q000378:metabolism; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000378:metabolism; D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D010908:Pituitary Hormones, Anterior; D002996:Clomiphene; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol; D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone; D011388:Prolactin; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013974:Thyroxine