A 44-amino-acid peptide, secreted by the hypothalamus, stimulates the pituitary to release growth hormone. Useful in differentiating between a pituitary tumor and ectopic GHRH hypersecretion.
Normal range: <50 pg/mL.
Interpretation
Increased In
One percent of cases of acromegaly caused by GHRH by hypothalamus or ectopic secretion by neoplasms (e.g., pancreatic islet, carcinoid of the thymus or bronchus, neuroendocrine tumors)