[Secretion of somatotropic hormone in patients with pancreatitis]

The concentration of somatotropic hormone (STH) was measured by radioimmunoassay in 108 patients with acute and chronic pancreatitis and in 15 healthy persons. In addition, to study the reserve capacity of the somatotropic function of the pituitary, insulin hypoglycemia was employed. It was established that during exacerbation, the pancreatitis patients manifested an increase in the hormone content. In the patients suffering from acute pancreatitis, the STH level returned to normal following treatment. In chronic pancreatitis, the hormone concentration remained elevated after treatment. No correlation was discovered between alterations in the STH level and the activity of pancreatic enzymes. The data obtained point to a definite role of STH in the pathogenesis of chronic pancreatitis.