title: Serum prolactin and growth hormone response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone in patients with pituitary adenomas.
abstract: The dynamics of growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (PRL) secretion in response to intravenous 400 micrograms thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) in 13 untreated patients with pituitary adenomas (6 women, 7 men; ages 20-64 years; 8 patients with acromegaly, 3 prolactinomas and 2 non-functional adenomas) were correlated with the results of immunohistochemical studies of GH and PRL in the adenoma cells. The basal serum GH concentrations were abnormally high in 6 and normal in 2 cases of acromegaly. In 5 of 6 acromegalic patients with pure GH-containing adenomas, TRH stimulated GH release by less than 100%. One patient with acromegaly and pancreatic islet cell carcinoma had the maximum increment for GH by 303%. TRH stimulated GH release by more than 100% in 2 acromegalic patients with mixed GH/PRL-containing adenomas. In 3 patients with prolactinoma and in 2 patients with non-functional adenoma the basal GH levels were 0.5 mU/L or undetectable and there was no GH response to TRH. The peak serum PRL levels after TRH were less than 100 ng/ml in 6 acromegalic patients with pure GH-containing tumors and in 2 patients with non-functioning pituitary tumors, and were more than 230 ng/ml in 3 patients with prolactinoma and in 2 acromegalic patients with mixed GH/PRL-containing tumors. It is suggested that the TRH test may help clinically in establishing the diagnosis of prolactinoma, pure GH-secreting tumors and mixed GH/PRL-containing tumors.
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: F W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Hsieh
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone; D011388:Prolactin; D013006:Growth Hormone