Abstract
Using a double antibody solid phase radio immunoassay, elevated levels of plasma LH (92 to 432 miu/ml) were found in 4 males and 2 females aging 12 to 24 years with hypopituitarism secondary to surgical removal of craniopharyngioma (4) and pinealoma (2); elevated levels of plasma FSH (11 to 279 miu/ml) were also present in 3 of them. Very little change was observed under LH RH stimulation or steroid suppression test. Because of the clinical and biological evidence of severe hypogonadism together with the absence of urinary FSH and LH, the presence of circulating anti FSH and LH antibodies was suspected and confirmed using plasma incubation with labelled FSH (LER 1366) or LH (LER 960 NPA) and electrodiffusion separation. In 2 patients these antibodies appeared under long term therapy with HCG and HMG in parallel with clinical and biological evidence of a marked decrease of the efficiency of the treatment. No such therapy was given in the 4 other patients. The only treatment common to all these patients was the pitressin powder used as daily nasal insufflations. In one patient the antibodies disappeared after DDAVP was substituted to pitressin powder for one year.
Conclusion: Circulating anti LH and FSH antibodies seems frequent in treated surgical hypopituitarism; this may have some important consequences when substitutive therapy is used.
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David, L., Claustrat, B., Plauchu, H. et al. CIRCULATING ANTI LH AND ANTI FSH ANTIBODIES IN TREATED SURGICAL HYPOPITUITARISM. Pediatr Res 9, 668 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197508000-00022
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197508000-00022