Decreased growth hormone secreting cells of the hypophysis in senile cachexia
Takanashi, R.; Sugawara, O.; Mernyei, M.
Rinsho Byori. Japanese Journal of Clinical Pathology 49(1): 61-65
2001
ISSN/ISBN: 0047-1860 PMID: 11215486 Document Number: 528792
Basic morphometry of the pituitary gland in aged patients with cachexia was performed. In 10 control specimens, growth hormone(GH) cells accounted for 42.9 +/- 3.4% of the total, compared with 33.8 +/- 7.0%(p < or = 0.01) in patients with severe cachexia senilis. ACTH cells accounted for 16.0 +/- 7.4% in the control group and 14.1 +/- 9.0% in the senile cachexia group(p > or = 0.1). The mean pituitary weight was 0.60 g in control cases and 0.46 g in cases of extreme cachexia(p < or = 0.01). In the hypophyses of patients with senile cachexia, atrophy of GH cells and increase of the fibrous stroma were also prominent. The ratio of the summarized value for total GH cells in cachexia senilis patients and controls was 1:2.2. The difference was regarded as sufficiently large to be a causative factor in the establishment of cachexia senilis.