Influence of ACTH on serum hormone content and its anticonvulsant action towards infantile spasms.
Ten patients with infantile spasms were treated with ACTH, which resulted in a suppression of thyroxine through an increase of the serum cortisol level and suppression of pituitary TSH secretion. The thyroxine level in the excellent-response group was suppressed more than that in the other groups. There was a statistically significant difference (t-test, p less than 0.01) in the suppression of T4 between the excellent-response group and the others. Although the high cortisol level was essential for the clinical effectiveness of ACTH therapy and the suppression of the thyroid hormones, the therapeutic correlation with the elevated cortisol level might be weak as compared to that with the suppression of T4. These findings suggest the possibility that the efficacy of ACTH therapy in infantile spasms may depend in part on the suppression of the thyroid hormone.
D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D013036:Spasms, Infantile / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood*; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood
D014284:Triiodothyronine; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013974:Thyroxine; D006854:Hydrocortisone