Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Vol 73, 197-202, Copyright © 1991 by Endocrine Society

ARTICLES

Human plasma growth hormone (GH)-binding proteins are regulated by GH and testosterone

MC Postel-Vinay, A Tar, JF Hocquette, JP Clot, M Fontoura, R Brauner and R Rappaport
Unite de Biologie et Pathologie de la Croissance et du Developpement, INSERM Unite 30, Hopital des Enfants-Malades, Paris, France.

Possible regulation of GH-binding proteins (GH-BPs) in human plasma was examined. Eight children with isolated GH deficiency had a very low level of plasma GH-binding activity (10.2 +/- 1.1% of radioactivity). Under GH treatment the hormone binding to the high affinity BP (peak II- BP) increased in every patient to reach the mean value of 18.5 +/- 1.4%. In one patient, Scatchard plot analysis indicated that this increase was related to a higher binding capacity without any significant change in the binding affinity. A positive correlation existed between the GH-binding activity and insulin-like growth factor- I plasma levels. In nine boys with pubertal delay, the GH-specific binding to peak II-BP was normal (30.6 +/- 3.7% of radioactivity); it decreased significantly after testosterone treatment. In four boys with precocious puberty, the specific GH binding to peak II-BP was low (16.6 +/- 1.1%). It increased significantly to 21.6 +/- 1.1% of radioactivity after treatment with a LHRH analog. A negative correlation existed between plasma testosterone levels and GH binding to peak II-BP in boys presenting pubertal delay or precocious puberty. The high affinity GH- BP is regulated, and among the factors that play a role in this regulation, GH and testosterone have opposite effects.

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