Correlation Between the Responses to Growth Hormone (GH) Treatment During Childhood and Adulthood in a Monocentric Cohort of GH-Deficient Patients

Abstract

Our aim was to analyze a cohort of patients with childhood-onset growth hormone deficiency (GHD) to evaluate if there is some correlation between the response to GH treatment during childhood and adulthood, respectively. This was an observational retrospective monocentric cohort study of 47 patients treated with GH during childhood and adulthood. Changes in growth parameters during childhood were compared with the increase of IGF-I z-score and other indexes of GH response (body composition, lipid profile) after 1 year of treatment in adulthood. The only significant positive correlation was observed between final growth velocity during the last year of childhood GH treatment and increase in IGF-I z-score in GH-treated adults (r=0.592, p=< 0.01). No correlation was observed between growth-promoting effects of GH as child and metabolic changes induced by GH as adult. We also observed a negative correlation between weight at the end of childhood GH treatment and the IGF-I response during first year of treatment in adults (r=- 0.335, p <0.05). No significant positive correlation could be observed between the main parameters that evaluate response to GH treatment in children and adults. However, the final growth velocity, which may be considered as one of the main criteria of end of GH treatment in children, was identified as parameter that could predict future response to GH treatment in adulthood.

Reduced Bone Mineral Density in Middle-Aged Male Patients with Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency

“…Elbornsson et al found that after 15 years of rhGH replacement therapy, total and lumbar (L2-L4) BMC and BMD in AO AGHD patients continued to increase [33]. However, Thilmany et al found no significant change in BMD, t-score, or z-score at the lumbar spine, total hip, and femoral neck after one year of rhGH treatment [34]. Several meta-analyses also showed inconsistent effects of rhGH treatment on BMD in AGHD patients, which was influenced by gender, age, and duration of treatment [35,36].…”