The role of growth hormone (GH) testing

The GH growth hormone test is a way to measure the amount of growth hormone (GH) in the blood. GH is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland, a small gland located at the base of the brain, the floor of the third ventricle, in the pituitary fossa of the sphenoid body. It is secreted into the bloodstream in concentrations that fluctuate throughout the day and night with peaks occurring mainly at night.

Growth hormone (GH) test is a test that measures the level of a hormone in the blood that makes the body grow. Growth hormone GH is produced by the pituitary gland. This hormone plays an important role in how the body converts food into energy. The amount of GH in the blood changes throughout the day and is altered by exercise, sleep, stress, and diet.
Too much growth hormone GH can cause a child to grow taller than normal (giant syndrome). Too little GH can cause babies to grow less than normal (stunting – dwarfism). Both of these conditions can be treated if detected early.
In adults, excessively high levels of GH can be caused by a benign tumor in the pituitary gland (adenoma). As a result of the disease, the bones of the face, jaw, hands, and feet grow larger than normal (acromegaly).

2.1. Clinical significance of GH stimulation testing If GH growth hormone levels are not significantly stimulated during the GH stimulation test (i.e. GH levels are still below what is needed) and the person is If the person has signs and symptoms of GH deficiency and has a low level of IGF-1, the person is GH deficient (Teale JD 1994 [5]) and needs to be treated. If a person's TSH and T4 levels are abnormal, the person may have thyroid dysfunction, hypopituitarism, or hypopituitarism, all of which can cause symptoms. similar to GH deficiency. The GH growth hormone test for GH deficiency should not be performed before a person's thyroid function has been evaluated. A child with hypothyroidism needs to be treated and his or her growth rate assessed before a growth hormone test is considered. If a person exercises vigorously without an increase in GH levels, then he or she may have a GH deficiency. This finding will need to be further evaluated with other tests.

2.2. Clinical Implications of GH Suppression Tests If a person's GH growth hormone levels are not significantly suppressed when tested for GH suppression, that is, they are still at the required level and the person has signs and symptoms of an excess of GH (as in gigantism or acromegaly) and a high level of IGF-1 may indicate that the person is producing too much GH. If a person has a tumor detected on an X-ray, CT scan, or MRI, it is likely a pituitary tumor (usually benign). In a person being monitored for a known tumor, if the level of GH is increased there may be a recurrence of the tumor. Pituitary tumors are the most common causes of GH overproduction, but they can also cause deficiency (Reddy SSK 2009 [4]). The presence of a pituitary tumor can affect not only the production of GH but also the production of other pituitary hormones, such as ACTH (increased in Cushing's syndrome) or prolactin. If the tumor is relatively large, it can inhibit the production of all pituitary hormones and cause damage to surrounding tissues.

Some drugs can increase the amount of GH in the blood: Amphetamine, arginine, clonidine, dopamine, estrogen, glucagon, indomethacin, insulin, interferon, levodopa, niacin, oral contraceptives, phenytoin. Some drugs can lower GH levels: Corticosteroids and phenothiazines. Growth hormone levels can be altered by exercise, nutritional status, sleep, and stress. A quantitative GH test should not be scheduled before 48 hours from the date of a radioisotope diagnostic test. Synthetic GH can be used to alleviate GH deficiency in children while its treatment in adults with GH deficiency is controversial. A combination of surgery, medication, and radiation therapy can be used to treat pituitary tumors that cause excess GH production.

There may be long-term complications from GH abnormalities. For example, acromegaly can cause colon polyps (which increase the risk of colon cancer), diabetes, high blood pressure, and vision abnormalities. It should be noted that the majority of cases of short stature are not caused by GH deficiency. They can also be associated with familial traits, a variety of diseases, and other genetic conditions or disorders. It is sometimes possible to find a person who may have symptoms associated with GH deficiency but have normal or elevated GH levels, this is due to a genetic resistance to GH. In the case of GH resistance, while GH levels are high, IGF-1 levels are low. Besides GH deficiency, the child can be treated with GH replacement if the child has the following diseases or syndromes: +) Chronic kidney disease.
+) Prader Willi syndrome.
+) Turner syndrome.
The treatment of infants with GH replacement therapy in short but not GH-deficient children is controversial, including for short adults with or without GH deficiency, because the drugs can risks, side effects, costs, and benefits are unclear. Growth hormone replacement is sometimes used in people with HIV/AIDS, who have lost muscle mass, to help maintain body weight. Since the hormone GH promotes muscle growth in adults, it may be used by some adults as an athletic performance enhancer. To detect drug abuse in sports, athletes may be tested for growth hormone GH or IGF-1 along with other athletic performance-enhancing drug detection tests. Vinmec International General Hospital is one of the hospitals that not only ensures professional quality with a team of leading doctors, modern equipment and technology, but also stands out for its examination and consulting services. and comprehensive, professional medical treatment; civilized, polite, safe and sterile medical examination and treatment space. Customers when choosing to perform tests here can be completely assured of the accuracy of test results.