title: Thyroid growth-stimulating and growth-inhibiting factors.
abstract: This article reviews the biological signals and factors involved in normal and pathological thyrocyte proliferation. The role of thyrotropin, cyclic adenosine 3'5'-monophosphate and hormones of anterior pituitary and placental origin are discussed. The effects on thyroid growth of insulin and insulin-like growth factors, epidermal growth factor and fibroblast growth factor are analyzed, as well as those of metabolites of arachidonic acid, iodide, neuropeptides like somatostatin, calcium metabolism and melatonin. Thyroid growth is also under the control of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves of cervical sympathetic and vagal origin, respectively. Involvement of growth-affecting factors that contribute as risk factors for thyroid tumorigenesis, and the pathological immunoglobulins stimulating or inhibiting thyroid growth are reviewed. The picture that emerges underlines the complexity of the regulating phenomena controlling thyroid growth.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Thyroidology, University School of Medicine, Lódź, Poland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lewiński
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pawlikowski
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Cardinali
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000502:physiology; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000502:physiology; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000502:physiology; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000502:physiology; D007455:Iodine / Q000502:physiology; D008550:Melatonin / Q000502:physiology; D010908:Pituitary Hormones, Anterior / Q000502:physiology; D013002:Somatomedins / Q000502:physiology; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000502:physiology; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology*; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000502:physiology*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D010908:Pituitary Hormones, Anterior; D013002:Somatomedins; D013963:Thyroid Hormones; D013004:Somatostatin; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D013972:Thyrotropin; D002116:Calcitonin; D007455:Iodine; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D008550:Melatonin