RESPONSES OF ANTERIOR PITUITARY HORMONES TO FEVER DURING COMMUNITY-ACQUIRED INFECTIONS
2008
Aim: The aim of the study was to determine the responses of adrenal
corticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, thyroid-stimulating hormone
(TSH) and prolactin (PRL) levels during community-acquired infections
with fever and to compare changes of these hormones to febrile and
afebrile episodes. Methods: Plasma levels of ACTH, serum levels of
cortisol, TSH and PRL of 60 hospitilized patients were evaluated
prospectively. Blood samples from study group were taken 2 times;
during pyrexia and one hour after decreasing of fever. Only one blood
sample was taken from each control patient and time of blood sampling
was same for all of them. Results: 60 hospitalized patients were
included to the study. Of these, 29 were study group, 31 were control
group. In febrile patients with infection; plasma ACTH levels was
higher than the control group (37,35±35,82 pg/mL vs
22,78±28,84 pg/mL) but no statistical significance was found
(p=0,101). Serum cortisol levels was higher than the control group
(28,88±13,12 ug/dL vs 17,68±7,88 ug/dL) (p<0,001). There
were no differences in serum PRL and TSH levels between the two groups.
In the study group plasma ACTH and cortisol levels were significantly
increased in febrile periods when compared to afebrile periods
(32,21±28,51 pg/mL vs 18,93±22,86. pg/mL; p=0,002) and
(28,32±12,96 ug/dL vs 23,09±15,05 ug/dL; p=0,024)
respectively. In PRL and TSH levels there was no statistically
significance. Conclusion: We concluded that plasma ACTH and serum
cortisol elevations are common in acute infectious diseases, and they
are more sensitive to increasing of body temperature. The two peptides
may be involved in central mediation of fever, perhaps limiting the
febrile response acting as neuromodulators in central thermoregulatory
pathways.
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