Growth Hormone Treatment In Prepubertal Children Research Articles

Criteria for First-Year Growth Response to Growth Hormone Treatment in Prepubertal Children With Growth Hormone Deficiency: Do They Predict Poor Adult Height Outcome?

Objective: Several criteria for first-year growth response (FYGR) to growth hormone (GH) treatment have been proposed. We explored which FYGR criteria predicted best the final height outcome after GH treatment in prepubertal children with GH deficiency (GHD).Design and methods: Height data of 129 GHD children (83 boys) who attained adult height and had been treated with GH for at least 4 consecutive years with at least 1 year before pubertal onset, were retrieved from the Belgian GH Registry. The FYGR parameters were: (1) increase in height (ΔHt) SDS, (2) height velocity (HV) SDS, (3) ΔHV (cm/year), (4) index of responsiveness (IoR) in KIGS prediction models, (5) first-year HV SDS based on the KIGS expected HV curve (HV KIGS SDS), (6) near final adult height (nFAH) prediction after first-year GH treatment. Poor final height outcome (PFHO) criteria were: (1) total ΔHt SDS <1.0, (2) nFAH SDS <−2.0, (3) nFAH minus midparental height SDS <−1.3. ROC curve analyses were performed to define the optimal cut-off for FYGR parameters to predict PFHO. Only ROC curves with an area under the curve (AUC) of more than 70% were further analyzed.Results: Twelve, 22 and 10% of the children had respectively a total ΔHt SDS <1, nFAH SDS <−2, and nFAH minus midparental height SDS <−1.3. The AUC's ranged between 73 and 85%. The highest AUC was found for first-year ΔHt SDS to predict total ΔHt SDS <1, and predicted nFAH SDS to predict nFAH SDS <−2. The currently used FYGR criteria had low specificities and sensitivities to detect PFHO. To obtain a 95% specificity, the cut-off value (and sensitivity) of FYGR parameters were: ΔHt SDS <0.35 (40%), HV SDS <−0.85 (43%), ΔHV <1.3 cm/year (36%), IoR <−1.57 (17%), HV KIGS SDS <−0.83 (40%) to predict total ΔHt SDS <1; predicted nFAH SDS (with GH peak) <−1.94 (25%), predicted nFAH SDS (without GH peak) <−2.02 (25%) to predict nFAH SDS <−2. At these cut-offs, the amount of correctly diagnosed poor final responders equals the amount of false positives.Conclusion: First-year growth response criteria perform poorly as predictors of poor final height outcome after long-term GH treatment in prepubertal GHD children.

Comparative Study of Growth Hormone Treatment in Children with Idiopathic Short Stature and Growth Hormone Deficiency.

Idiopathic short stature (ISS) is defined as short stature of unknown origin. Responses to growth hormone (GH) in children with ISS are highly variable and dose-dependent, and the optimal treatment is controversial. This study was performed to compare the effects of GH treatment in prepubertal children with ISS versus growth hormone deficiency (GHD). This retrospective study was conducted at Ajou University Hospital, Korea. Children with GHD (n = 38) or ISS (n = 22) were treated with GH (0.23 mg/kg/week, 6 times a week) for 2 years. All subjects were prepubertal during the study period. The auxological parameters and growth outcome of the two groups were compared. The association of initial clinical characteristics and first-year height standard deviation scores (Δ height SDS) was analyzed. No differences were observed in the baseline auxological parameters between the ISS and GHD groups. Growth outcomes in the first and second years were similar in both groups. Age was negatively associated with first-year change in Δ height SDS in both groups. GH treatment was effective in both children with ISS and those with GHD. Early intervention with GH is the most appropriate therapeutic option in both ISS and GHD.

Short-term changes in bone formation markers following growth hormone (GH) treatment in short prepubertal children with a broad range of GH secretion.

Growth hormone (GH) promotes longitudinal growth and bone modelling/remodelling. This study investigated the relationship between levels of bone formation markers and growth during GH treatment in prepubertal children with widely ranging GH secretion levels. The study group comprised 113 short prepubertal children (mean age ± SD, 9·37 ± 2·13 years; 99 boys) on GH treatment (33·0 ± 0·06 μg/kg/day) for 1 year. Blood samples were taken at baseline and 1 and 2 weeks, 1 and 3 months, and 1 year after treatment start. Intact amino-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PINP), bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP) and osteocalcin were measured using an automated IDS-iSYS immunoassay system. Intact amino-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PINP), BALP and osteocalcin, increased in the short-term during GH treatment. PINP after 1 week (P = 0·00077), and BALP and osteocalcin after 1 month (P < 0·0001 and P = 0·0043, respectively). PINP levels at 1 and 3 months correlated positively, and osteocalcin levels at 1 week and percentage change after 1 month correlated negatively, with first year growth response. No significant correlations were found between BALP and first year growth. Multiple regression analysis showed that bone marker levels together with auxological data and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 explained the variation in first year growth response to 36% at start, 32% after 2 weeks and 48% at 3 months. Short-term increases in levels of the bone formation markers PINP, BALP and osteocalcin showed different temporal patterns, but all correlated with first year growth response during GH treatment. These markers may be a useful addition to existing prediction models for growth response.

Decrease in Adiponectin Levels Correlates to Growth Response in Growth Hormone-Treated Children

Background/Aims: Adiponectin is secreted by adipose tissue and circulates in human plasma at high levels. Decreased adiponectin levels are associated with insulin resistance and obesity. The aim of this study was to investigate whether changes in serum adiponectin levels are related to the growth response, insulin levels and insulin resistance during growth hormone (GH) treatment. Methods: The study included 94 short prepubertal children (19 girls and 75 boys). The mean age at the start of daily GH injections was 9.04 ± 2.38 years. Adiponectin levels in serum were measured using an ELISA. Results: At baseline, adiponectin correlated with the first-year growth response (r = 0.26, p = 0.012). Adiponectin decreased significantly after 1 week, 3 months and 1 year from 14.5 ± 5.71 to 13.1 ± 5.22 (p < 0.0001), 10.3 ± 4.82 (p < 0.0001) and 12.5 ± 5.34 μg/ml (p < 0.0001), respectively. There were significant correlations between the first-year growth response and the decrease in adiponectin levels after 3 months and 1 year (r = –0.38, p < 0.0001 and r = –0.47, p < 0.0001, respectively). No correlations between adiponectin, insulin and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance were seen. Conclusions: GH treatment in prepubertal children decreases serum adiponectin levels, and the decrease is correlated to the growth response. No correlations between adiponectin and insulin levels or insulin resistance were found.

Proteins related to lipoprotein profile were identified using a pharmaco-proteomic approach as markers for growth response to growth hormone (GH) treatment in short prepubertal children

BackgroundThe broad range in growth observed in response to growth hormone (GH) treatment is mainly caused by individual variations in both GH secretion and GH sensitivity. Individual GH responsiveness can be estimated using evidence-based models that predict the response to GH treatment; however, these models can be improved. High-throughput proteomics techniques can be used to identify proteins that may potentially be used as variables in such models in order to improve their predictive ability. Previously we have reported that proteomic analyses can identify biomarkers that discriminate between short prepubertal children with idiopathic short stature (ISS) who show good or poor growth in response to GH treatment. In this study we used a pharmaco-proteomic approach to identify novel factors that correlate with the growth response to GH treatment in prepubertal children who are short due to GH deficiency or ISS. The study included 128 short prepubertal children receiving GH treatment, of whom 39 were GH-deficient and 89 had ISS. Serum protein expression profiles at study start and after 1 year of GH treatment were analyzed using SELDI-TOF. Cross-validated regression and random permutation analyses were performed to identify significant correlations between protein expression patterns and the 2-year growth response to GH treatment.ResultsAt start of treatment we identified a combination of seven protein peaks that correlated with the 2-year growth response in the GH-deficient group (R2 = 0.73). After 1 year of treatment, a combination of four peaks in the GH-deficient group (R2 = 0.64), eight peaks in the ISS group R2 = 0.47) and eight peaks in the total study group correlated with the 2-year growth response R2 = 0.38).The peaks identified corresponded to apolipoproteins A-I, A-II, C-I, C-III, transthyretin and serum amyloid A 4, which are all part of the high-density lipoprotein.ConclusionUsing a proteomic approach we identified biomarkers related to the lipoprotein profile that could be used to predict growth response to GH treatment in prepubertal children who are short as a result of GH-deficiency or who have ISS.These results support our previous findings that apolipoproteins and transthyretin may have a role in GH sensitivity.

Bone Age Progression during the First Year of Growth Hormone Therapy in Pre-Pubertal Children with Idiopathic Growth Hormone Deficiency, Turner Syndrome or Idiopathic Short Stature, and in Short Children Born Small for Gestational Age: Analysis of Data from KIGS (Pfizer International Growth Database)

Background/Aims: The beneficial effects of growth hormone (GH) therapy on statural growth in children are well established, but the effects on skeletal maturation are less clear. The progression of bone age (BA) was therefore studied during the first year of GH treatment in pre-pubertal children with idiopathic GH deficiency (GHD), Turner syndrome (TS) or idiopathic short stature (ISS), and in short pre-pubertal children born small for gestational age (SGA). Methods: Cross-sectional data on 2,209 short children with idiopathic GHD, 694 with TS, 569 with ISS and 153 with SGA were analysed. Longitudinal data were also analysed from 308 children with idiopathic GHD, 99 with TS, 57 with ISS and 29 with SGA. All patients included in the study were enrolled in KIGS (Pfizer International Growth Database) and were being treated with recombinant human GH (Genotropin^®). BA was assessed using the Greulich and Pyle method at baseline and after 1 year of GH therapy. Results: In all groups of patients the mean progression of BA was 1 year during the year of GH therapy, although there was considerable individual variation. Progression of BA was not correlated with chronological age, BA, height SD score (SDS) or body mass index SDS at the onset of GH therapy. There was also no consistent effect of the GH dose on BA progression. Conclusion: Progression of BA appears to be normal in patients receiving GH in these diagnostic groups, at least over the first year of treatment in pre-puberty.

Effect of growth hormone treatment on insulin secretion and glucose metabolism in prepubertal boys with short stature

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect on insulin secretion and glucose metabolism of daily growth hormone (GH) treatment, 0.1 U/kg, for up to 3 years in 42 short prepubertal boys without GH deficiency. Their median height standard deviation (SD) score increased from -2.7 to -1.7, whereas their weight for height SD score was unchanged after 3 years of treatment. Fasting plasma glucose concentrations were unchanged, but median fasting insulin concentrations increased from 6.0 mU/l before treatment to 7.8 mU/l (p < 0.05) after the first year. No further increase was seen during the second or third years. The median insulin area under the curve 10-60 min after an intravenous glucose tolerance test increased from 480 mU.l-1.min-1 before treatment to 799 mU.l-1.min-1 (p < 0.05) after 1 year. The median glucose disposal rate (K value) before GH treatment, 2.2%/min, was unchanged after 1 year of treatment. A significant positive correlation was found between the change in the height SD score and the change in fasting insulin concentration during the first (r = 0.45; p < 0.01) and second (r = 0.56; p < 0.05) years of GH treatment. It was concluded that GH treatment in prepubertal children without GH deficiency caused a moderate increase in fasting and stimulated insulin concentrations during the first year of treatment. There was no further change during the following years of treatment, and there were no negative effects on fasting plasma glucose concentrations or glucose disposal rates. The increase in insulin concentration was related positively to the growth response.