Plasma growth hormone (GH) responses to growth hormone releasing factor (hp GRF 1-44) in familial GH deficiency.

In four children with familial GH deficiency peak and integrated GH responses to an acute intravenous bolus of hp GRF 1-44 were lower than in 18 children with non-familial idiopathic GH deficiency and in 5 children with structural hypothalamic abnormalities. It is possible that the familial forms of GH deficiency described may be due to absence or biological inactivity of endogenous GRF or possibly GRF receptor or post receptor abnormalities.