Abstract
TSH has been shown to be secreted in a pulsatile manner in adults. We have analysed 24 hr serum TSH concentration profiles in 29 short normal prepubertal subjects and in 9 tall children before and during one year of treatment with a nocturnal infusion of a somatostatin analogue (50-100 mg infused subcutaneously for 12 hrs). In short and tall children a circadian variation in serum TSH concentrations was observed with nocturnal values greater than diurnal. Nocturnal values were often greater than the upper limit of normal for a random sample (5 mU/l). Two pulse periodicities were observed: a fast frequency of 120 minutes and a slower one of 280 minutes. No change in mean serum 24hr TSH concentrations with age was observed (0.7-5.10 mU/l, median 2.1 mU/l). Treatment with the somatostatin analogue led to a suppression of the nocturnal rise in serum TSH concentration, to a disruption of the dominant periodicities so that no clearly defined pulse frequency could be discerned and to a 30%-50% reduction in 24 hr mean: serum TSH concentration (0.7-1.2 mU/l, median 1.0 mU/l). Despite these changes serum T4 concentrations remained unchanged during treatment. These data demonstrate pulsatility of serum TSH concentrations in children and confirm previous observations that somatostatin inhibits TSH secretion. The precise role of pulsatile TSH secretion in the generation of T4 levels is unclear as disruption of the pulsatile pattern did not affect serum T4 concentration.
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Pringle, P., Barton, J., Hindmarsh, P. et al. THYROTROPHIN STIMULATING HORMONE (TSH) PULSATILITY IN CHILDHOOD: EFFECTS OF A SOMATOSTATIN ANALOGUE ON PULSATILITY AND THYROXINE (T4) GENERATION. Pediatr Res 33 (Suppl 5), S26 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199305001-00139
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199305001-00139