title: Four patients with polyendocrinopathy with associated pituitary hormone deficiency.
abstract: Four cases of polyglandular endocrine disorders associated with pituitary hormone secretion failure are reported. Three of them had both insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and Hashimoto's disease. Each of these patients (cases 1-3) showed isolated deficiency of ACTH, TSH or gonadotropin, respectively. Another patient (case 4) had both Hashimoto's disease and isolated ACTH deficiency. Anti-pituitary antibody to AtT-20 cells was detected in case 1. Serum gamma-globulins from patients 1 and 4 attenuated corticotropin releasing hormone-induced ACTH release in monolayer cultured rat anterior pituitary cells. Gamma-globulins from patients 1 and 2 decreased baseline TSH release but stimulated baseline prolactin release in pituitary cell cultures. It is possible that pituitary hormone deficiency in these patients may be caused by autoimmune disorders.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kurokawa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishioka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takao
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takamatsu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Numata
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000172:deficiency; D006801:Humans; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000172:deficiency; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010907:Pituitary Hormones / Q000172:deficiency*; D016884:Polyendocrinopathies, Autoimmune / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D011388:Prolactin / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000276:immunology; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism; D005719:gamma-Globulins / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D010907:Pituitary Hormones; D005719:gamma-Globulins; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D011388:Prolactin; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D013972:Thyrotropin; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone