Hull K L, Harvey S
Department of Biology, Bishop's University, Lennoxville, Canada, J1M 1Z7.
J Endocrinol. 2003 Dec;179(3):311-33. doi: 10.1677/joe.0.1790311.
The actions of growth hormone (GH) are not restricted to growth: GH modulates metabolic pathways as well as neural, reproductive, immune, cardiovascular, and pulmonary physiology. The importance of GH in most physiological systems suggests that GH deficiency at any age would be associated with significant morbidity. However, prior to the advent of recombinant GH, cadaver-derived GH was only used therapeutically to correct the height deficit, and thereby hypothetically improve quality of life (QoL), in GH-deficient children. Physicians now have access to unlimited, albeit expensive, supplies of recombinant GH, and are considering the advisability of GH replacement or supplementation in other patient populations. This paper analyses studies investigating the relationship between GH and QoL in GH-deficient children or adults, in GH-replete short children suffering from idiopathic short stature, Turner syndrome, or intrauterine growth retardation and in GH-deficient or replete elderly adults. Possible mechanisms by which GH might improve QoL at neural and somatic sites are also proposed.
生长激素（GH）的作用并不局限于生长：GH还可调节代谢途径以及神经、生殖、免疫、心血管和肺部生理功能。GH在大多数生理系统中的重要性表明，任何年龄的GH缺乏都可能与严重的发病率相关。然而，在重组GH出现之前，尸体来源的GH仅用于治疗性纠正GH缺乏儿童的身高缺陷，从而假设性地改善生活质量（QoL）。现在，医生可以获得无限量的重组GH，尽管价格昂贵，并且正在考虑在其他患者群体中进行GH替代或补充的 advisability（此处单词有误，可能是advisability，意为可取性、明智性）。本文分析了关于GH缺乏儿童或成人、患有特发性矮小症、特纳综合征或宫内生长迟缓的GH充足的矮小儿童以及GH缺乏或充足的老年人中GH与QoL之间关系的研究。还提出了GH可能在神经和躯体部位改善QoL的可能机制。
