Abstract
The Growth Hormone Releasing Factor (GRF) is a peptide of 44 aminoacids produced in the hypothalamus, which stimulates GH secretion by the hypophysis. Therapeutical use has been reported in some cases of GH deficiency (GHD). The GRF was psrfbrrned in 14 prepubertal children with GHD, 9 man and 5 woman, with a mean chronological age of 8.1 years (3.5-11.8) and mean bone age 5.1 years (dif -3), height of 2.5 SD with respect to the mean, and growth rate 4.5 cm/year. The diagnosis of GHD was based on a GH response under 7 ng/ml to 2 stimulation tests and the exclusicn of other pathologies. 1 ug/Kg iv GRF was admistered with maasurements of GH at 0- 5-10-15-30 minutes. TAC was performed in 9 patients, in 8/9 it was normal and 1 presented empty turkish sella, We used RIA (DPC) with 2nd antibody with 5% intra-assay and 7% inter-assay variation coefficient, The positive response to the test was defined as a GH increase of over 4-fold that of the variation coefficient of the RIA used.
The positive response to GRF in 71% of the GHD cases, suggests that in most of them, the deficiency lies in the hypothalamus and not in the hypophysis. These patients may benefit frcm a long-term treatment with GRF.
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García, H., Silva, R., Bugeño, M. et al. 22 RESPONSE TO THE GRF TEST IN PATIENTS WITH GROWTH HORMONE DEFICTT. Pediatr Res 32, 252 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199208000-00045
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199208000-00045
