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The relationship of growth hormone (GH) to the factor VIII complex (VIIIC, VIIIRAg and VIIIRRCo) was investigated. No correlation between basal levels of GH and factor VIII assays was found in 23 subjects. No significant change in factor VIII assays was observed after GH suppression by oral glucose or bromocriptine. After insulin-induced hypoglycaemia all three factor VIII assays rose and fell in parallel with GH. However, after exercise the rise in VIIIC and VIIIRAg preceded the rise in GH; and no changes in factor VIII assays were observed after administration of thyrotrophin releasing hormone (TRH) (releasing endogenous GH) or exogenous GH. These findings do not support a role for GH in the regulation of plasma levels of VIIIC, VIIIRAg or VIIIRRCo.

Eleven boys with constitutional delay of puberty and 7 patients with hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism underwent standard thyrotrophin-releasing hormone (TRH) tests prior to and following 6 days' pulsatile infusion of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (240 ng/kg/pulse). There were no significant differences in basal, peak or incremental prolactin responses to TRH between the 2 groups of patients and there were no differences in the magnitude of prolactin response to TRH in either group of patients during pulsatile therapy when compared with preinfusion responses.

Twenty male patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery were studied on one control day pre-operatively and for the first 4 days postoperatively at an environmental temperature of either 20 degrees C or 28 degrees C. Glucose, insulin, growth hormone and urinary catecholamine levels all rose significantly on the first postoperative day returning to within normal limits by day 4. Urine nitrogen excretion also increased significantly postoperatively in both groups. Environmental temperature did not influence these responses. Concentrations of C-reactive protein and a1-antichymotrypsin increased significantly on the first postoperative day and were returning to normal by day 4 while concentrations of haptoglobin, a1-antitrypsin and a1-acid glycoprotein, which also showed a significant increase, remained elevated at the end of the study. Concentrations of albumin, transferrin, a2-macroglobulin, prealbumin and retinol binding protein all decreased significantly following operation. Elevated environmental temperature did not affect the protein response to surgery. Urine cortisol and 17-hydroxycorticosteroid excretion rose significantly postoperatively and remained elevated throughout the study. Patients nursed at 28 degrees C showed significantly lower postoperative excretion of both hormones than patients nursed at 20 degrees C.

A case is reported of a patient with symptomatic hyperinsulinism associated initially with a renal cell carcinoma and then later, with secondary deposits from the same tumor. Evidence points to a strong possibility of renal tumor involvement in the production of insulin hypersecretion.

An Autoanalyser procedure is described for the routine fluorimetric estimation of oestrogens in a solvent extract of non-pregnancy urine. Comparative studies reveal that the oestrogen content of an early morning urine specimen is a clinically useful parameter in the investigation of female infertility.

Ten men with Klinefelter's syndrome were studied to assess the effect of testosterone replacement on plasma lipids and apolipoproteins. Measurements taken before the insertion of a testosterone ester implant were compared with those obtained 1 week and 4 weeks later. Mean plasma testosterone, androstenedione, total cholesterol and calculated LDL-cholesterol increased significantly after 1 and 4 weeks. No significant changes were seen in total plasma concentrations of HDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol subfractions 2 and 3 or in apoplipoproteins A-I, A-II or B. A significant correlation was seen between total cholesterol and plasma oestradiol concentrations (Rs=0.61; P < 0.001). A significant negative correlation was seen between the concentrations of total testosterone and total triglyceride (Rs= -0.56; P < 0.005) but not with the other lipid parameters. Testosterone replacement is associated with slight but potentially adverse changes in plasma cholesterol levels.