POMC and hypopituitarism: In the univariate analysis conducted in a group of 63 subjects (control individuals plus patients with hypopituitarism; n=21+42) the following three determinants, i.e. age, total cholesterol (TChol) concentration and lymphocyte concentration, were positively associated with hypopituitarism, whereas MBL level, TSH concentration, FT3 concentration, LH, ACTH and IGF-I were negatively associated with hypopituitarism.