Somatotropic insufficiency in children and antip1tu1tary antibodies as characteristics of humoral immunity in patients and their parents

Antibodies to adeno-pituitary cell surface antigen (PCSA) were studied in 40 untreated children with idiopathic growth hormone (GH) deficiency to elucidate the role of autoimmune disorders in the pathogenesis of GH deficiency. Antibodies to rat PCSA were assayed by ELISA. PCSA was detected in 15% of patients with GH deficiency, in contrast to that in healthy children and children with autoimmune thyroid diseases. The authors consider that in some cases GH deficiency may be caused by autoimmune hypophysitis. A family study revealed PCSA in 25% of mothers of patients with GH deficiency. In a population of healthy women PCSA was detected in 5.7% cases. Hence, a hereditary background of autoimmune abnormality cannot be completely ruled out.