Paradoxical growth-hormone responses to thyrotropin-releasing hormone in panic disorder.

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) has been reported to stimulate growth hormone (GH) release in a variety of pathological conditions, including some studies of major depression. Because of the considerable phenomenological and neuroendocrine overlap between major depression and panic disorder, we investigated the rate of positive GH responses to TRH in 38 patients with panic disorder and 23 normal controls. There were no between-group differences in mean GH response to TRH or in the proportion of subjects with positive responses. These findings are discussed in the context of neuroendocrine regulation of GH secretion and the relationship between anxiety and affective disorders.