Functional study of adenohypophysis in thalassaemia major [STUDIO FUNZIONALE DELL'ADENOIPOFISI NELLA THALASSEMIA MAJOR]

Adenohypophyseal function has been studied in a large series of thalassaemia patients by means of stimulation tests with TRH, LHRH and insulin. Thyrotropinaemia proved comparable in thalassaemia patients compared to the controls, in both basal conditions and following TRH. The prolactinaemic response to TRH was, on the other hand, greatly enhanced in patients with Cooley's disease. Thalassaemics also presented a significantly increased plasma concentration of ACTH. Against this, the gonadotropinaemic response to LHRH was subnormal and, in some cases, the GH peak during insulin hypoglycaemia was too. It is still not clear why the hypophyseal haemochromatosic damage consequent in the numerous transfusions to which these patients are subject, brings with it the functional impairment of certain cell districts such as those engaged on FSH and LH and perhaps also GH synthesis, whereas the activity of the other hypophyseal cell districts remaisn completely unimpaired.