title: Growth failure with plasma GH that is normal by RIA but low by radioreceptor assay: responsiveness to exogenous GH.
abstract: We measured the ratio of GH by radioreceptor assay (RRA) using IM-9 cells to its radioimmunoassay (RIA) level in: (a) 25 children and young adults with normal growth (controls); (b) 7 poorly growing children with GH neurosecretory dysfunction (GHND) who had normal stimulated GH but subnormal integrated concentration of GH (IC-GH) who responded to GH therapy; (c) 4 poorly growing children who had both normal stimulated GH and IC-GH but did not respond to GH therapy (GHNR - GH responder), and (d) 7 poorly growing patients with normal stimulated, and IC-GH who responded to GH therapy (GHR - GH responder). The RRA/RIA ratio of the GHND group was 1.3 +/- 0.4 similar to that of the control group - 1.3 +/- 0.3. The mean RRA/RIA ratio of the 7 GHR patients was 0.6 +/- 0.5, significantly lower than the controls and the GHND patients (p < 0.05). The RRA/RIA ratios of the 4 GHNR patients was not different from the controls. We conclude that: (1) GH binding is normal in GHNR and GHND patients and (2) RRA/RIA ratio below the normal range as measured by IM-9 cell GH RRA in short, poorly growing children with normal GH secretion, was a predictor of the response to GH therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bistritzer
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Chalew
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Kowarski
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001120:Arginine; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D011869:Radioligand Assay
chemical_list: D013006:Growth Hormone; D001120:Arginine