Enhanced growth hormone responses to TRH injection in bipolar depressed patients.

Twenty-five depressed patients were examined as to their growth hormone responses to TRH. An enhanced pituitary growth hormone response to intravenous injection of 500 mug TRH was observed in eight depressed patients, while TRH administration did not raise growth hormone levels in nine of 10 normal subjects examined. Occurrence of enhanced response of growth hormone was not related to the thyrotropin values after TRH administration. Bipolar patients exhibited enhanced growth-hormone response more frequently than unipolar patients. Five patients with involutional depression and neurotic depression who showed the most insufficient thyrotropin release to TRH administration together with lowered thyroid function revealed to be non-responders of growth hormone.