Variability of serum human growth hormone levels in different commercial assays: specificity of growth hormone-releasing hormone stimulation

Horm Res. 1993;40(5-6):168-72. doi: 10.1159/000183789.

Abstract

Serum human growth hormone (hGH) levels were measured with three different commercial kits, comprising a radioimmunoassay (RIA) (bioMérieux, Marcy-l'Etoile, France, 'bmpoly') and two immunoradiometric assays (IRMA) (bioMérieux, 'bmmono', and CIS bioInternational, Gif-sur-Yvette, France, 'cismono'). Samples were collected after various stimulation tests [arginine-insulin, growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), L-dopa and glucagon-beta-axolol] from children who were undergoing evaluation for short stature. Values obtained with the IRMAs were consistently lower than those obtained with the RIA. Furthermore, the cismono/bmmono and cismono/bmpoly values ratios were always significantly higher when samples were collected during GHRH stimulation than during the other stimulation tests. These data indicate that GHRH could induce a particular form of hGH molecule (in nature or in amount), recognized by the monoclonal antibodies in the cismono kit and that a specific form of hGH may be released by GHRH stimulation.

MeSH terms

  • Child
  • Female
  • Growth Hormone / blood*
  • Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone* / blood
  • Humans
  • Immunoradiometric Assay / methods
  • Male
  • Radioimmunoassay / methods
  • Reagent Kits, Diagnostic*
  • Reference Values

Substances

  • Reagent Kits, Diagnostic
  • Growth Hormone
  • Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone