Discordant serum alpha-subunit and FSH concentrations in a woman with a pituitary tumour.
Affiliation
Departments of Endocrinology and Radiotherapy, Christie Hospital and Holt Radium Institute, ManchesterIssue Date
1984-08
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Show full item recordAbstract
We have studied a women who presented at the age of 51 with a large FSH and alpha-subunit producing pituitary adenoma. Following insertion of ventriculo-peritoneal shunts and external pituitary irradiation there was no change in the elevated serum concentrations of FSH, and alpha-subunit over a four year period although she developed both ACTH and TSH deficiency. Various drugs, however, did alter the FSH and alpha-subunit concentrations and these changes suggest possible mechanisms controlling FSH secretion. Ethinyloestradiol 0.03 mg daily for three weeks suppressed serum FSH to 77% of the basal level (240 +/- 35 i.u./l to 184 +/- 20 i.u./l) but alpha-subunit rose to 130% of basal level (281 +/- 50 ng/ml to 366 +/- 40 ng/ml). On ethinyloestradiol 0.1 mg daily, FSH suppressed to 17% of basal (40 +/- 11 i.u./l) with no change in alpha-subunit concentration, while on 0.2 mg daily suppression of FSH was similar but alpha-subunit fell to 59% of basal (190 +/- 28 ng/ml). Dexamethasone, 3 mg daily for one week reduced FSH to 53% of the initial concentration and alpha-subunit to 74% while bromocriptine 7.5 mg daily for three months, reduced FSH to 39% and alpha-subunit to 66% of basal. Neither thyroxine, 0.2 mg daily for four weeks, nor an LHRH analogue, (Buserelin, Hoechst) 200 micrograms, three times daily for three months elicited any effect. Chromatography on Sephadex G100 showed that serum FSH and alpha-subunit both had Kav values somewhat lower than those of their standard counterparts (FSH, 0.20 vs 0.25; alpha-subunit 0.35 vs 0.45).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)Citation
Discordant serum alpha-subunit and FSH concentrations in a woman with a pituitary tumour. 1984, 21 (2):123-9 Clin EndocrinolJournal
Clinical EndocrinologyDOI
10.1111/j.1365-2265.1984.tb03451.xPubMed ID
6205794Type
ArticleLanguage
enISSN
0300-0664ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1111/j.1365-2265.1984.tb03451.x