DETERMINATION OF HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE (HGH) IN PLASMA BY A DOUBLE ANTIBODY RADIOIMMUNOASSAY

Abstract

The double antibody technique of Hales and Randle (1963) for determination of insulin in plasma was developed for the assay of HGH in plasma. The precision and reproducibility of the method as well as the recovery of HGH added to plasma were highly satisfactory. Increased HGH values were obtained in acromegaly and during insulin hypoglycemia, while decreased values were observed during glucose infusion. Successful treatment of acromegaly was accompanied by the return of plasma HGH levels toward normal. The plasma HGH values obtained with the present method cannot be considered as reflecting the absolute amounts of HGH, since several factors in the assay procedure, mainly the incubation time and the concentration of HGH antibodies used, markedly influenced the values obtained. It isquestioned whether the radioimmunological assay methods for HGH per se give an absolute measure of this hormone in plasma.