AUTOIMMUNITY IN HYPOPITUITARISM

45 hypopituitary patients (29 M, 16 P) aged 3-22 years were studied for autoimmunity. Serum non-organ-specific antibodies (NOSA-Ab) such as nuclear, DNA, mitochondrial (MA), smooth muscle (SMA), liver/kidney microsomal (LKM), reticulum (RA), ribosomal and organ-specific antibodies (OSA) against pituitary gland, testis, adrenal cortex, ovary, thyroid (thyroglobulin and microsomal), pancreas islet cells, gastric parietal cells (PCA) and intestinal epithelial cells were evaluated. Thyroid antibodies were detected by passive haemagglutination test while indirect immunofluorescence was used for the others. 98 healthy age-sex-matched subjects were used as controls. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed: anterior pituitary hypoplasia, stalk agenesis and ectopic posterior pituitary lobe in 22 patients, 9 with isolated GH deficiency (IGHD) and 13 with multiple pituitary hormone deficiencies; isolated anterior pituitary hypoplasia in 12 IGHD;apparently normal pituitary gland in 11 lGHD.