Abnormal growth hormone dynamics in chronic liver disease do not depend on severe parenchymal disease

Abnormal basal serum levels of growth hormone (GH) and abnormal GH dynamics have been observed in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis (AC). To further characterize these abnormalities, patients with AC or schistosomal hepatic fibrosis (SHF) were evaluated. The former patients have parenchymal liver disease, portal hypertension, and portosystemic shunting. SHF, in contrast, is characterized by periportal fibrosis with minimal or no parenchymal cell disease, portal hypertension, and portosystemic shunting. We studied 20 patients with SHF and normal stature and 15 patients with AC. In these two groups of patients, basal serum GH was higher than normal (P less than .01). A paradoxical increase in GH was observed during the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in 55% of SHF and in 40% of AC patients. Significant GH elevation followed thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) administration in 80% of SHF and 66% of AC patients, but not in normals. Serum nonsuppressible insulin-like activity (NSILA) and serum somatomedin C (Sm-C) levels were reduced significantly in both groups. In SHF patients, the paradoxical increase in GH during OGTT correlated inversely with Sm-C (r = -.6, P less than .05). We conclude that (1) abnormal GH secretion occurs in both SHF and AC, (2) serum Sm-C and NSILA are diminished in both forms of liver disease, and (3) portosystemic shunting of blood appears to be the important pathology shared by both forms of liver disease.