Effect of treatment with biosynthetic human growth hormone (GH) on peripheral blood lymphocyte populations and function in growth hormone-deficient children.

GH influences the immune response. The mechanism is not known; however, the presence of receptors for GH on human lymphocytes as well as its ability to influence and modulate immune responses in animals suggest an association between GH and immune function in man. We evaluated the effect of recombinantly derived natural sequence human GH (hGH) on lymphocyte surface antigen expression, response to mitogenic stimulation, expression of interleukin-1 receptors, and production of anti-hGH antibodies in GH-deficient children. The only observed changes were a decrease in the percentage of B-cells and a transient increased reactivity to phytohemagglutinin stimulation. It appears from the results of our studies that the administration of hGH has a selective effect on lymphocyte immune function; however, we cannot eliminate a role for hGH in the initiation or regulation of antigen-mediated immune responses.