title: Somatomedin levels in the diagnosis and therapy of growth hormone deficiency.
abstract: Serum somatomedin-C (SM-C) and somatomedin (SM) concentrations were measured by, respectively, radioimmuno (SM-C RIA) and radioreceptor assays (SM RRA) in 3 groups of children with short stature. The patient population was different from previously reported series in that it was urban Brazilian, low income, and significantly older. Group A consisted of 6 male and 3 female children, aged 7.7-16.0 years, whose average peak plasma immunoreactive growth hormone (GH) was above 10 ng/ml. Group B contained 8 male and 5 female untreated GH-deficient patients, ranging in age from 9.5 to 21.0 years. In Group C there were 4 male and 1 female GH-deficient subjects treated with I.M. injections of GH (0.1 U/kg) from 1 month to 7 years. The mean +/- SE basal RIA SM-C (ng/ml) concentrations were significantly lower in groups B (34.2 +/- 8.8) and C (43.8 +/- 13.7) than A (214.3 +/- 42.7): A X B, P less than 0.001 and A X C, P less than 0.02. Likewise the mean +/- SE basal RRA SM (ng/ml) concentrations were significantly lower in groups B (78.9 +/- 17.6) and C (90.8 +/- 19.3) than group A (316.3 +/- 43.0): A X B, P less than 0.001 and A X C, P less than 0.002. A significant linear correlation was observed between RIA and RRA in group B (r = 0.84; P less than 0.001) and C (r = 0.96; P less than 0.01), but not for A (r = 0.61; P greater than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Hospital das Clinicas, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, Brazil.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Giannella-Neto
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Wajchenberg
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Mendonca
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liberman
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nery
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Macchione
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Spencer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000172:deficiency*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D013002:Somatomedins / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D013002:Somatomedins; D013006:Growth Hormone