Abstract
Growth Hormone (GH) has been shown to stimulate erythropoiesis and increase red cell volume (RCV) in children and animals who had either isolated GH deficiency or surgical hypophysectomy. In an attempt to confirm that this effect is also related to the growth response of this hormone we studied 7 GH deficient children. 6 of the children had reduced RCV (mean 15.5 ± .8 ml/kg). The 7th (AK) had a normal RCV of 22 ml/kg (N 22-27 ml/kg). The mean erythropoietin level in the 6 children who had reduced RCV was .6 ± .1 % RBC59Fe Inc. After 6 weeks of GH the RCV was 23.7 ± 1.2 ml/kg. The erythropoietin increased to a value of 3.2 ± .6 %RBC59Fe after 1 week of therapy in the 6 children with reduced RCV and decreased to 2.0 ± .4 % RBC59Fe after 6 weeks of GH therapy. The growth of these 6 patients was 3.5 ± .25 inches for the 1st year. AK did not increase her erythropoietin during therapy. Her growth was 1.25 inches during her 1st year of GH. Her GH assays were repeated and it was again decreased (less than 1 nanogram/ml by insulin tolerance test).
We believe that the erythropoiesis that occurs after GH administration in a GH deficient child with a reduced RCV is related to erythropoietin secretion and this response maybe related to the hormones' growth effect.
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Vitale, L., Eisenstein, T., Shah, N. et al. ERYTHROPOIETIN, GROWTH HORMONE AND GROWTH. Pediatr Res 8, 410 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197404000-00422
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197404000-00422