Letters to the Editor
Growth Hormone Levels in Psoriasis
Comments on the Contribution by R. M. MacKie et al. MacKie et al. (Arch Dermatol Res 1983, 275: 207) on the growth hormone level in psoriasis needs comment:
The paper by
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A significant elevation of HGH levels can hardly be expected in a sample of only 9 patients who suffer from various clinical forms of psoriasis and who are already under treatment. Our investigations in a group of 70 (!) patients [1, 2] revealed that the increase in HGH serum levels depends on the extent, severity and/or acuity of psoriasis. It has to be noted that before and during circadian measurements of HGH our patients did not receive any treatment. Moreover, MacKie et al. measured HGH levels only once in each patient. Neither were these differences considered by the authors nor did they discuss the fact that in one of their patients (IF, F, 43 years) the HGH serum level was increased pathologically.
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In our investigations we did not employ the glucose tolerance test (GTT) since found in patients with psoriasis that HGH levels were not stimulated by arginine infusions.
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The bromocriptine treatment of patients with psoriasis was first described by Weber et al. [4]. The article by Guilhou and Guilhou [5] published later is not cited correctly by MacKie et al., since it was 22 % of the patients who showed a good response to bromocriptine treatment.
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We never assumed a connection between acromegaly and psoriasis.
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In the near future we will report on the pathological substrates [6].