ABNORMAL ENDOCRINOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS IN CHILDREN WITH INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE

We investigated the endocrinological function in 12 children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (8 of ulcerative colitis, 4 of Crohn's disease). These patients showed low serum levels of triiodothyronine (T3) (n=3), high serum prolactin (PRL) (n=2), and normal basal value of thyroid- stimulating hormone (TSH) and an exaggerated and prolonged TSH response in thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) test (n=3), delayed and prolonged luteinizing hormone (LH) response in luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) test (n=2), prepubertal LH response in LH-RH test in spite of the clinical evidence of puberty (n=2), hyporesponsiveness in human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) test (n=2). These results suggested that endocrinological changes were secondary reaction mainly due to malnutrition and/or malabsorption. In conclusion, growth failure and delayed sexual development in IBD have a malnutritional basis as main etiololgical factor. In clinical management of children with IBD, it should be critical to identify the early possible state of nutritional failure and to institute appropriate nutritional support and supplementation.