Pituitary Dwarfism in a Patient with Circulating Abnormal Growth Hormone Polymers

Abstract

PITUITARY dwarfism may be due to a deficiency of growth hormone or a lack of peripheral action of growth hormone. Lack of peripheral action of growth hormone may be secondary to an abnormality in the structure of the hormone,1 an inability of growth hormone to generate growth-promoting substances, such as the somatomedins or insulin-like growth factors,2 3 4 or nonresponsiveness of target tissue to these growth-promoting factors.5 The nonresponsiveness of target tissue to growth factors may be due to a defect in the cell-membrane receptors or to any step beyond receptor binding.Although growth hormone deficiency is easily identified by low plasma . . .