抄録
Blood cortisol and growth hormone levels in patients with bronchial asthma were studied to assess their pituitary-adrenocortical function during attacks.
In patients who had been treated without glucocorticoid therapy, the blood cortisol levels during attacks were significantly higher than those of non-attacks, while the blood levels of growth hormone did not show any changes. In patients who had been treated with glucocorticoid, this elevation of coroisol levels during attacks markedly reduced, but the levels of growth hormone during attacks rather increased by steroid therapy, especially in the patients received 2, 000-5, 000 mg (predonisolone base) in total dosage. By steroid treatment of over this dosage, the secretion of growth hormone was also depressed. In inhalation test, an additional secretion of endogenous cortisol was recognized 15 minutes after antigen inhalation in almost all cases, despite of the time difference of bronchial reactions. However, it was shown also that the secretion of cortisol tended to rise again at the time of late appearance of bronchial reactions. Growth hormone lacked such specific response to antigen inhalation.
