Electronic Library of Scientific Literature Electronic Library of Scientific Literature
Volume 34 / No. 4 / 2000
J. Lebl, A. Sediva, M. Snajderova, S. Pruhova, V. Rakosnikova
Department of Pediatrics, 3rd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Vinohradskα
159, CZ-100 81 Prague 10, Czech Republic
Institute of Immunology and 2nd Department of Pediatrics, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles
University, Prague, Czech Republic
E-mail: lebl@fnkv.cz
Objective. To investigate the impact of growth hormone (GH) therapy in adults with
childhood-onset GH deficiency on immune system.
Methods. Ten young GH deficient adults (7 males, age 19-28 years) were treated with
recombinant human growth hormone for 6 months. The starting dose was 0.5 IU/m2/day
(2 weeks), then it was doubled to 1.0 IU/m2/day. In 5/10 patients, the dose was
further increased to 1.5 IU/m2/day at 4 weeks of therapy. Immunological studies
were performed before treatment and after 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months and included
humoral (IgG, IgA, IgM, C3, C4 and immune complexes) and cellular parameters (total
lymphocyte count and counts of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ and CD19+ lymphocytes, the CD4+/CD8+ ratio
and percentage of CD16+56+ and CD3+DR+).
Results. The cellular responses to GH therapy were subtle, but detectable, with the
trend to the higher CD4+ and lower CD8+ lymhocytes and maximal changes at 6 months of
therapy. They were reflected in CD4/CD8 ratio, which increased from 1.15±0.10 (mean ±
S.E.; baseline) to 1.37±0.11 (6 weeks; P<0.05), 1.24±0.10 (3 months; n.s.) and to
1.59±0.20 (6 months; P<0.05). The response in humoral immunity was characterized by
a rapid decrease of circulating immunoglobulins (IgA: 1.40±0.25 g/l [mean±S.E.],
baseline; 1.12±0.19, at 6 weeks; P<0.05) and C4 (0.25±0.02 g/l, baseline; 0.19±0.01,
at 6 weeks; P<0.05) and a tendency to an increase in circulating immune complexes
(29.1±8.1, baseline; 40.3±7.2, at 6 weeks; n.s.). These observations suggest
a temporary immune complex formation after the onset of GH treatment which might play
a partial role in developing edema as a side effect of GH treatment, besides the
known effect of GH on water retention.
Conclusions. GH therapy in GH deficient young adults has a measurable effect
on the increase of CD4/CD8 ratio and on the formation of immune complexes.
Key words: Growth hormone (GH) GH deficiency GH therapy Adults
Immune system Lymphocytes Immunoglobulins Immune complexes
ENDOCRINE REGULATIONS, Vol. 34, 169173, 2000
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M. Vigas, J. Celko, J. Koska
Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava and
Department of Physical Medicine, State Spa Trencianske Teplice, Slovak Republic
E-mail <ueenviga@savba.sk>
Objective. To study the role of physical fitness and hyperthermia in inducing
growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (PRL) responses to exercise in physically fit and in
non-trained healthy subjects.
Methods. Ten wrestlers preparing for international competition (mean age 19), and
nine untrained healthy males (mean age 21), volunteered in the study. They were exposed
twice to the exercise consisting of 27 min swimming, freestyle, in water of 29 or 36 °C,
with last 3 min increased to maximal effort. Measurement of blood pressure, heart rate,
sublingual temperature and sampling of blood was performed before exercise, immediately
after and after a 30 min period of rest.
Results. Body temperature, heart rate, systolic blood pressure and plasma growth
hormone (GH) were significantly elevated in both groups after swimming in water of either
temperature (P<0.01). The difference between GH responses to swimming in water of 29
°C vs 36 °C was significant only in non-trained subjects and was associated with the
changes of body temperature. A rise in PRL concentration was found only in exercise
in warmer water (P<0.01). There were no statistical differences between athletes and
controls in any response to swimming in water of the same temperature.
Conclusions. The augmented release of GH and PRL was the result of direct
stimulation by increased body temperature.
Key words: Fitness Swimming Water temperature GH PRL Wrestlers
ENDOCRINE REGULATIONS, Vol. 34, 175180, 2000
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R. B. Burikhanov, K. Wakame, Y. Igarashi, S. Wang, S. Matsuzaki
Department of Biochemistry, Dokkyo University School of Medicine, Mibu, 321-0293
Tochigi, Japan;
Amino UP Chemical Co., Ltd. Sapporo, 004-0839 Hokkaido, Japan
E-mail: matuzaki@dokkyomed.ac.jp
Objective. Mushroom extracts are known to have immunomodulating and antitumor
effects in humans as well as in animals. In the present study Active Hexose Correlated
Compound (AHCC), an extract obtained from several kinds of basidiomycetes was examined for
its suppressive effect on thymocyte apoptosis induced by dexamethasone.
Method. Thymic apoptosis was evaluated by gel electrophoresis and by flow cytometry
at 3 h after injection of dexamethasone to rats.
Results. When given to rats at 4 % concentration in drinking water for more than 4
days, AHCC suppressed the internucleosomal DNA fragmentation in the thymus induced by
dexamethasone. Flow cytometry also revealed that thymic apoptosis induced by dexamethasone
was prevented by pretreatment with AHCC. Dexamethasone increased the caspase 3-like
activity within 3 h after its treatment and AHCC pretreatment suppressed the
increased enzyme activity only slightly. No apparent increase in serum levels of melatonin
and interleukin 1beta was observed after AHCC treatment.
Conclusions. These results suggest that AHCC exhibits immuno-modulating effects at
least partially by regulating thymic apoptosis.
Key Words: AHCC Thymic apoptosis Dexamethasone DNA fragmentation
Flow cytometry
ENDOCRINE REGULATIONS, Vol. 34, 181188, 2000
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J. Payer, K. Sladekova, S. Kinova, Z. Cesnakova, Z.Killinger, M. Krizko, I. Klimes, P. Langer
First Clinic of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, 813 69
Bratislava, Slovakia;
Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
E-mail: zdenko.killinger@nextra.sk
Female patient (42 yr) suffered from autoimmune thyroiditis resulting in severe
hypothyroidism. She was treated for several years by district physician with the dose of
150 microg L-thyroxine daily. Since the level of TSH was repeatedly very high and no
improvemenet of clinical signs has been observed, she was refered to the Medical Faculty
Hospital. Thyroid ultrasound showed remarkable diffuse hypoechogenicity, thyroid
scintigraphy showed enlarged thyroid with low 99mTc uptake, TRH test was
normal, thin needle biopsy supported autoimmune thyroiditis. X-ray examination showed
normal sella turcica and no changes in the pituitary were observed with computer
tomography. In spite of increasing the dose of peroral L-thyroxine to 300 microg/d and
later to 500 microg/d the clinical status and TSH level did not improve. The patient was
originally suspected from malabsorption of thyroxine. However, the test with a large
single peroral dose (1000 microg) of L-thyroxine showed a rapid decrease of TSH level
(from 126 to 75 mU/l) and increase of total T4 level (from 18 to 64 nmol/l)
within 4 hr. Later the patient has been treated with intravenous L-thyroxine (500 microg
every 3-4 days for 4 weeks) which resulted in the decrease of TSH level to 10 mU/l and
increase of T4 level to 80-100 nmol/l.
After that it was concluded that the problem is a poor compliance of the patient who
apparently does not actualy take the medication, although she always claimed that she is
doing so. Refering to some similar cases described in the literature the case was
classified as thyroxine pseudomalabsorption. In spite that this problem has been explained
to her and her relatives, she refused to take any medication and is consistently
neglecting all invitations to further examinations.
Key words: Autoimmune thyroiditis Hypothyroidism Thyroxine
pseudomalabsorption
ENDOCRINE REGULATIONS, Vol. 34, 189193, 2000
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M. Zubrzycka, A. Janecka
Department of Physiology and
Department of General Chemistry, Institute of Physiology and Biochemistry, Medical
University of Lodz, Lindleya 3, 90-131 Lodz, Poland
E-mail: ajanecka@psk2.lodz.pl
ENDOCRINE REGULATIONS, Vol. 34,195201, 2000
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E. Rollerova, M. Urbancikova
Institute of Preventive and Clinical Medicine, Department of Toxicology and Xenobiotics, Limbovα 14, 833 01 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
Key Words: Ligand inducible transcription factors Nuclear receptors Estrogen receptors Steroid/thyroid receptor superfamily Hormone responsive element Review
ENDOCRINE REGULATIONS, Vol. 34, 203218, 2000
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