Plasma growth hormone concentration in corticosteroid-treated children.

Endogenous plasma growth hormone concentrations were measured in 23 children who were receiving daily corticosteroid therapy and in 10 control asthmatic children who had not received steroids for at least 8 months. The growth hormone concentrations were similar in the two groups of patients both during the fasting state and after insulin-induced hypoglycemia. 12 children, who were studied while receiving a large dose of prednisone and again 2 wk after steroid withdrawal, also showed no change in growth hormone concentration in relation to corticosteroid therapy. These findings suggest that deficiency of growth hormone is not the major mechanism responsible for the dwarfism of corticosteroid-treated children.