Response of Serine Antiproteases to Growth Hormone Therapy in Growth Hormone Deficient Children

Abstract

Growth hormone regulates the hepatic mRNA levels of α₁-antitrypsin and two contrapsin-like mRNAs in the rat. To determine whether growth hormone regulates similar serine protease inhibitors in humans, we measured serum α₁-antitrypsin, α₁-antichymotrypsin, and antithrombin III by radioimmunodiffusion in 16 growth hormone deficient children before and after growth hormone therapy. Of the 19 determinations made, 17/19 showed an increase in α₁-antirypsin after administration of growth hormone, 198.6 ± 39.1 mg/dl before growth hormone and 239.4 ± 44 mg/dl after growth hormone (p = 0.005). Specificity of the response for α₁-antitrypsin was indicated by the fact that neither α₁-antichymotrypsin or antithrombin III values changed after growth hormone (p = 0.6 and 0.5, respectively). These data are compatible with the hypothesis that growth hormone regulates serine protease inhibitors in humans and suggests that investigation of other members of the serpin gene family might prove fruitful in defining additional growth hormone target genes.

Novel serum protein biomarkers indicative of growth hormone doping in healthy human subjects

“…It is also an acute‐phase protein that is secreted in large amounts by the liver in response to acute infection or injury 27. AAT expression in the liver responds to GH in both rats and humans 28, 29, and GH‐deficiency is often associated with deficiency in AAT 30. The one isoform of AAT that significantly increased at day 8 with rhGH treatment is consistent with these findings.…”