title: Growth hormone secretion and plasma somatomedin-C in primary hypothyroidism.
abstract: The effect of thyroid hormone deficiency on plasma immunoreactive somatomedin-C concentrations, growth hormone (GH) secretion in response to provocative stimuli, and the plasma somatomedin-C response to exogenous GH was studied in patients with primary hypothyroidism. Plasma Somatomedin-C concentrations were below the 95% confidence interval in 11 of 12 hypothyroid patients (mean +/- SD = 0.27 +/- 0.14 U/ml). With thyroid hormone therapy the mean plasma somatomedin-C level increased four-fold (1.00 +/- 0.43 U/ml). The capacity to secrete GH in response to pharmacological agents was impaired in 3 of the 6 hypothyroid patients tested and normal in the remainder. When the same 6 patients were given a single intramuscular injection of GH (0.1 U/kg) plasma somatomedin-C concentrations increased four-fold by 28 h after the injection. The magnitude of the somatomedin-C response was equal to or greater than that reported for euthyroid GH deficient subjects treated similarly. This study shows that plasma somatomedin-C concentrations are diminished by hypothyroidism. The decreased somatomedin-C levels do not appear to result from resistance to the stimulatory effect of GH, but may be either a result of diminished GH secretion or may be due to direct effects of hypothyroidism upon somatomedin production.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000368:Aged; D001120:Arginine; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007328:Insulin; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013002:Somatomedins / Q000097:blood*; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D013002:Somatomedins; D013963:Thyroid Hormones; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013006:Growth Hormone; D001120:Arginine; D013974:Thyroxine