The Relationship between Adiposity and Height Responses during the First Two Years of Growth Hormone Therapy in Prepubertal Children with Idiopathic Growth Hormone Deficiency

Abstract

Data for a total of 287 prepubertal patients with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) from the International Cooperative Growth Study (ICGS) treated with recombinant growth hormone (GH) for more than two years were analyzed for the relationship between adiposity and growth response. The percent overweight index was used for assessing the degree of adiposity. One hundred eightyeight patients with GH neurosecretory dysfunction on GH treatment from the same database served as controls. Results: There was a statistically significant decline in % overweight only during the first year. There was no change in adiposity between the first and second year. In a comparison between thin patients with GHD and obese patients, obese patients had better first year growth response (height velocity, its SD score, increase in height SD score) despite older age, and lower GH dosage/kg. Among obese children with GHD, there was a tendency toward better height response in more obese individuals. Simple correlation analysis revealed variables that negatively correlated with % overweight were GH peak levels, GH dosage and height velocity before treatment and variables that positively correlated were the number of injections/week and the first year growth response. Multiple regression analysis in patients with GHD and GH neurosecretory dysfunction revealed that adiposity is an independent factor promoting height response during the first year of GH treatment in prepubertal GHD patients.