A possible relationship between serum transferrin, growth hormone secretion and height velocity in children

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Since transferrin (Tf) in vitro has a growth-promoting activity and is associated with NSILA [nonsuppressible insulin-like activity] properties, the aim of this work was to study in vivo the relationships between Tf, somatomedin activity (SM), growth hormone (GH) secretion and height velocity in children. An i.v. infusion of ornithine hydrochloride was given to 23 controls; the induced GH rise was accompanied by a simultaneous SM fall (r [correlation coefficient] = 0.711, P < 0.001) and was preceded by a Tf fall (r = -0.610, P < 0.01). In 17 obese children SM was within the normal range, when Tf levels were higher and Arg-induced GH peaks lower than in the controls and a negative correlation was found between Tf basal levels and GH peaks (r = -0.608, P < 0.01). In 9 children with confirmed hypopituitarism the Tf levels were significantly lower than in the controls. In 14 children with confirmed on suspected hypopituitarism a single i.m. injection of [human] GH (6 mg) failed to induce Tf variations over 24 h. In 39 of these children the height velocity was significantly correlated with Tf basal levels (r = 0.701, P < 0.001). Apparently Tf is involved in growth regulation, and GH secretion is related to Tf levels by a feed-back mechanism.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: