Short and Long-Term Effects of Growth Hormone Treatment on Lipid, Lipoprotein, and Apolipoprotein Levels in Short Normal Children

Abstract

Since recombinant growth hormone (GH) has been available, its use has been extended to treating not only children with growth hormone deficiency, but also short-statured children without GH deficiency. It is interesting, therefore, to determine whether GH therapy given in conventional doses causes metabolic side effects in these patients. In the present study we have examined the effect of recombinant human GH on eleven short normal children. Patients received 12 U/m2/week for 1 year. Before beginning treatment, the children had a mean annual growth velocity of 5.1 +/- 0.9 cm/yr; during the year of treatment, the therapy was effective and improved the mean growth velocity to 7.1 +/- 1.7 cm/yr, p < 0.05. We evaluated the subacute short-term effects during the first 15 days of treatment and the long-term effects for one year of GH treatment on lipid and lipoprotein levels. We found a significant increase in total cholesterol (TC) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) at the 6th month. Triglycerides (TG) increased significantly at the 3rd and 6th month. Both TC and TG returned to baseline at the 12th month. In no case however did the levels of TC, LDL-C and TG go above normal nor were there any changes in the following tests: high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), apolipoprotein (Apo) A-I, Apo B, Apo C-II, Apo C-III and Apo E. In conclusion, conventional doses of GH given to short normal children are effective in ameliorating growth velocity and do not cause serious metabolic side effects.

Increase of serum lipoprotein (a) levels during growth hormone therapy in normal short children

“…GH therapy did not change the total serum cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL-C, and LDL-C levels. These ®ndings are similar to those reported recently by Azzarito et al [2] in short normal children. No eect on the atherogenic index was demonstrated in our study in contrast with the results reported by Kohno et al [13] who found a decrease in the atherogenic index in boys with GHD who were treated with GH.…”

Growth hormone therapy and lipid profile in children on chronic peritoneal dialysis

“…A decrease in TC and LDL-C was found in children with endogenous GH deficiency [20,26,27]. Contradictory results were obtained in 11 growth-retarded children without endogenous GH deficiency who were treated with rhGH for a year -TC and LDL-C increased at 6 months but remained within normal values and then decreased at 12 months [22]. Most studies in adults treated with rhGH showed decreased TC and LDL-C.…”

“…An increase in TG level during rhGH treatment was observed in adult patients without endogenous GH deficiency [21]. An increase in TG levels at 3 and 6 months, albeit within the normal range, was also found in 11 growth-retarded children without endogenous GH deficiency who received rhGH for a year [22]. Based on these data, it is difficult to draw any clearcut conclusions regarding the effect of rhGH on TG level.…”

Effect of Growth Hormone on Plasminogen Activator and Inhibitor Activity in Rat

“…In the present study triglyceride levels were found to be elevated in treated rats significantly (P \ 0.01). Effects of GH on triglycerides could be due to an overproduction of VLDL-triglycerides by the liver, which in turn could be due to direct action of GH or a GH mediated increase in free fatty acids or insulin [18]. Lower activity of lipolytic enzymes may also be responsible for decreased triglyceride metabolism.…”