Pituitary and thyroid hormone levels before and after orthotopic hepatic transplantation and their responses to thyrotropin-releasing hormone.

Basal and TRH-induced responses of T3, T4, TSH, GH, and PRL were determined before and 1 month after orthotopic hepatic transplantation in 41 patients (22 with primary biliary cirrhosis and 19 with primary sclerosing cholangitis). The responses of these patients before and after transplantation were compared to those of age-matched normal subjects. The results demonstrate that 1 month after successful hepatic transplantation, basal and TRH-induced TSH, GH, and PRL levels had decreased toward, but not completely to, normal levels.