ACTH IN NORMAL CHILDREN AND CHILDREN WITH PITUITARY AND ADRENAL DISEASES. I: Measurement in Plasma by Radioimmunoassay–Basal Values

Petersen, K. E. (The Children's Hospital Fuglebakken, University of Copenhagen). ACTH in normal children and children with pituitary and adrenal diseases. I. Acta Paediatr Scand, 70:341, 1981.–Plasma ACTH was measured by radioimmunoassay including preliminary extraction onto adsorbent glass particles. Normal basal values for children 4–16 years of age were 11–82 pg/ml, corresponding to values found in the literature. Normal values were found in girls with precocious puberty, children with McCune‐Albright and Beckwith‐Wiedemann's syndromes. Values between 233 and 305 pg/ml were found in untreated children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. In primary Addison's disease, very high levels (654–1 413 pg/ml) before cortisone therapy and their decline to nearly normal values during therapy are described. ACTH values in a case of pituitary Cushing's syndrome was just above the normal range (104–163 pg/ml).