Somatotropic Hormone

General information:

Somatotropic hormone (STH) is synthesized by cells (somatotrophs) in the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland. CTH affects all types of exchanges in the body, increases protein synthesis, is necessary and stimulates longitudinal bone growth. The increased synthesis of CTH in adults (after puberty) causes the disease acromegaly. Acromegaly is characterized by disproportionate enlargement of the hands and feet, as well as a coarsening of facial features occurring in people whose bone growth has stopped. Along with bone growth, the growth of soft tissues and most internal organs also increases, which leads to organomegaly and deviations in their function.

• Increased synthesis of CTX before puberty (before the completion of physiological growth) causes gigantism. Affected individuals reach a height exceeding the upper limit of the norm (over 200 cm. for men and over 185 cm. for women). In children and adolescents, the height exceeds the average norm by 40% or is two standard deviations above the average height for the age. Pituitary gigantism is a severe progressive disease leading to serious disability. Gigantism and acromegaly are seen as age-related variants of the same process. Most often, the cause of increased secretion of CTH is a tumor of the pituitary gland.
• Decreased secretion of CTX in childhood leads to the development of pituitary nanism (pituitary dwarfism). The clinic is ruled by the low height for the calendar age, the low growth rate and with a lag in the bone age. The general appearance of the patients resembles that of a calendar younger individual. CTH deficiency can be isolated (only of this hormone) or combined with a deficiency of other hormones secreted by the pituitary gland (in this case, the clinic is much richer). Decreased CTX secretion in adults does not manifest itself with characteristic clinical symptoms.

Sample required:

Venous blood in morning in fasting

Key words:

Somatotropic hormone