[Growth hormone in females with liver cirrhosis]

The median plasma concentration of growth hormone (GH) in 63 women with liver cirrhosis was significantly elevated when compared with a control group (4.4 ng/ml vs 1.8 ng/ml, p less than 0.01). In 38% of the patients GH concentration was higher than 6.0 ng/ml. GH correlated significantly with the degree of decompensation of the cirrhosis (Child A-C). It was not influenced by the concentrations of estradiol, estrone, or testosterone. Thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) induced paradoxial GH increase (delta-GH) in 23 patients showed no significant difference to the data of the control group (2.7 ng/ml vs 0.8 ng/ml). The etiology of cirrhosis (alcoholic or non alcoholic) proved to be unimportant concerning the GH elevation. A missing correlation of GH to thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), and of delta-GH to TRH induced increase of TSH (delta-TSH) argues against the hypothesis that latent hypothyroidism - often described in cirrhosis - might be responsible of the GH elevation.