Dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in short children with and without growth hormone deficiency.

The effects of L-dopamine (LD) administration and insulin-induced hypoglycemia in adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and cortisol secretion were studied in 14 short boys. LD caused moderate changes in both hormones. The four boys with isolated, idiopathic growth hormone (GH) deficiency (IGD) demonstrated a greater cortisol increase in response to hypoglycemia than the 10 boys with normal GH secretion. In at least some short children with IGD, abnormal regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis may be present.