Abstract
ACTH radioimmunoassays and steroid assays were carried out on 31 controls and on 85 patients with suspected endocrine disease. In all the patients with suspected Addison's disease and in most cases of suspected congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) or ACTH deficiency, basal or stimulated ACTH levels permitted either confirmation or rejection of the diagnosis. Normal ACTH levels were observed in the 6 patients with untreated Cushing's diseases. After treatment the development of basal ACTH levels and of ACTH response to sequential lysine vasopressine (LVP) tests appeared to be very useful for the detection of pituitary tumors. Simultaneous determinations of 180 pairs of ACTH and cortisol in patients free of hypothalamo-pituitary trouble, of 38 pairs of ACTH and 17 OH progesterone in patients with CAH, of 38 pairs of ACTH and 11 deoxycortisol after metyrapone indicated frequent dissociations between ACTH and steroid levels. This could be related to the differing fluctuation periods as well as the different half lifes of ACTH and steroids. In most cases these results agreed with our previous results using the bioassay but some discordances were observed especially in the course of dynamic tests (LVP, metyrapone, and dexamethasone tests).
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Raux, M., Proeschel, M., Pham-Huu-Trung, M. et al. CRITICAL EVALUATION OF ACTH RADIOIMMUNOASSAY FOR CLINICAL INVESTIGATION. Pediatr Res 9, 673 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197508000-00053
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197508000-00053