THYROTROPIN RELEASING HORMONE STIMULATION TEST AND ITS CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

This article is a summary of the results observed on the Thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) stimulation test done on 118 subjects since 1976. The responses are classified into four groups: normal response, active response, low response and no response.Thirty normal medical workers received the two doses of TRH respectively, 0.5 and 1.0 mg and 17 out of 21 cases of Grave's disease untreated all showed no responses. 4 cases treated with antithyroid drugs gave active response, 2 of them presented manifestations of hypothyroidism, but in the other 2 cases no response was seen during the test. One case of autonomous hyperfunctional adenoma with Tg-hypertoxioosis gave low response. 12 of the 13 untreated cases of primary hypothyroidism gave active responses, one case gave normal response and 2 cases of the primary hypothyroidism in the course of substitution therapy with desioated thyroid gave no responses. In 13 cases secondary hypothyroidism, 3 cases gave normal responses, one low response and the remaining 9 cases gave no responses.Effect on TRH test by drugs was also observed. Among the 14 oases treated with adrenal glucooorticoids 6 cases gave no responses and 4 each gave normal and low responses; 6 out of 9 cases of parkinsonism treated with L-dopa showed no responses, 2 with normal responses and one with low response; Among 15 women receiving steroid contraceptive (compound quinestrol)10 showed active responses and 5 normal responses.Finally, clinical significance, dosage, and side effects of thyrotropin releasing hormone stimulation test and factors influencing the test were discussed.