Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Vol 56, 1338-1340, Copyright © 1983 by Endocrine Society
Plasma lipotropin increase in man after growth hormone administration. Comparison between extractive and biosynthetic hormones
JM Kuhn, X Bertagna, D Seurin, M Gourmelen and F Girard
The action of human growth hormone (hGH) on plasma lipotropins (beta- and
gamma-LPH) in 15 GH deficient patients was studied by comparing the effects
induced by the acute administration of the extracted and biosynthetic
molecules. The purified extracted preparation (6 mg/m2 im) induced a
dramatic rise in plasma LPH: basal (49 +/- 12 pg/ml (mean +/- SEM); peak
1,658 +/- 262 pg/ml. The same dose of biosynthetic methionyl- hGH (met-hGH)
induced no significant change in plasma LPH. Both preparations caused
identical plasma GH increases. Six different commercially available
extracted hGH preparations (Choay, France; Serono, Italy; France Hypophyse,
France; Kabi, Sweden; Nordisk, Denmark; International Standard, Great
Britain) all showed definite cross-reactivity in the LPH radioimmunoasay,
varying from 0.1 to 1.0%, on a weight basis. No cross reactivity was found
with met-hGH (less than 0.0001%). On gel exclusion chromatography, the LPH
immunoreactivity of the purified preparations was dissociated from the GH
immunoreactivity and eluted at the position of beta-and gamma-LPH. These
data show that extracted hGH preparations are all contaminated with LPH and
raise the question of the possible consequences of chronically elevated
plasma LPH in treated patients. The use of biosynthetic met-hGH should
prevent this occurence.
