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Brettell E, Högler W, Woolley R, Cummins C, Mathers J, Oppong R, Roy L, Khan A, Hunt C, Dattani M. The Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD) Reversal Trial: effect on final height of discontinuation versus continuation of growth hormone treatment in pubertal children with isolated GHD-a non-inferiority Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT). Trials 2023; 24:548. [PMID: 37605233 PMCID: PMC10440873 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-023-07562-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is the commonest endocrine cause of short stature and may occur in isolation (I-GHD) or combined with other pituitary hormone deficiencies. Around 500 children are diagnosed with GHD every year in the UK, of whom 75% have I-GHD. Growth hormone (GH) therapy improves growth in children with GHD, with the goal of achieving a normal final height (FH). GH therapy is given as daily injections until adult FH is reached. However, in many children with I-GHD their condition reverses, with a normal peak GH detected in 64-82% when re-tested at FH. Therefore, at some point between diagnosis and FH, I-GHD must have reversed, possibly due to increase in sex hormones during puberty. Despite increasing evidence for frequent I-GHD reversal, daily GH injections are traditionally continued until FH is achieved. METHODS/DESIGN Evidence suggests that I-GHD children who re-test normal in early puberty reach a FH comparable to that of children without GHD. The GHD Reversal study will include 138 children from routine endocrine clinics in twelve UK and five Austrian centres with I-GHD (original peak GH < 6.7 mcg/L) whose deficiency has reversed on early re-testing. Children will be randomised to either continue or discontinue GH therapy. This phase III, international, multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled, non-inferiority trial (including an internal pilot study) will assess whether children with early I-GHD reversal who stop GH therapy achieve non-inferior near FH SDS (primary outcome; inferiority margin 0.55 SD), target height (TH) minus near FH, HRQoL, bone health index and lipid profiles (secondary outcomes) than those continuing GH. In addition, the study will assess cost-effectiveness of GH discontinuation in the early retesting scenario. DISCUSSION If this study shows that a significant proportion of children with presumed I-GHD reversal generate enough GH naturally in puberty to achieve a near FH within the target range, then this new care pathway would rapidly improve national/international practice. An assumed 50% reversal rate would provide potential UK health service cost savings of £1.8-4.6 million (€2.05-5.24 million)/year in drug costs alone. This new care pathway would also prevent children from having unnecessary daily GH injections and consequent exposure to potential adverse effects. TRIAL REGISTRATION EudraCT number: 2020-001006-39.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Brettell
- Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Wolfgang Högler
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Krankenhausstrasse 26-30, Linz, 4020, Austria.
| | - Rebecca Woolley
- Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Carole Cummins
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Jonathan Mathers
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Raymond Oppong
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Laura Roy
- Child Growth Foundation, Aston House, Redburn Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Adam Khan
- Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Charmaine Hunt
- Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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Wit JM, Bidlingmaier M, de Bruin C, Oostdijk W. A Proposal for the Interpretation of Serum IGF-I Concentration as Part of Laboratory Screening in Children with Growth Failure. J Clin Res Pediatr Endocrinol 2020; 12:130-139. [PMID: 31842524 PMCID: PMC7291410 DOI: 10.4274/jcrpe.galenos.2019.2019.0176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The serum insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) concentration is commonly used as a screening tool for growth hormone deficiency (GHD), but there is no consensus on the cut-off limit of IGF-I standard deviation score (SDS) to perform GH stimulation tests for confirmation or exclusion of GHD. We argue that the cut-off limit is dependent on the clinical pre-test likelihood of GHD and propose a diagnostic strategy in which the cut-off limit varies between zero to -2 SDS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan M. Wit
- Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Paediatrics, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Martin Bidlingmaier
- Klinikum der Universität München, Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik IV, Endocrine Research Laboratories, Munich, Germany
| | - Christiaan de Bruin
- Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Paediatrics, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Wilma Oostdijk
- Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Paediatrics, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Wit JM, Kamp GA, Oostdijk W. Towards a Rational and Efficient Diagnostic Approach in Children Referred for Growth Failure to the General Paediatrician. Horm Res Paediatr 2020; 91:223-240. [PMID: 31195397 DOI: 10.1159/000499915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Based on a recent Dutch national guideline, we propose a structured stepwise diagnostic approach for children with growth failure (short stature and/or growth faltering), aiming at high sensitivity for pathologic causes at acceptable specificity. The first step is a detailed clinical assessment, aiming at obtaining relevant clinical clues from the medical history (including family history), physical examination (emphasising head circumference, body proportions and dysmorphic features) and assessment of the growth curve. The second step consists of screening: a radiograph of the hand and wrist (for bone age and assessment of anatomical abnormalities suggestive for a skeletal dysplasia) and laboratory tests aiming at detecting disorders that can present as isolated short stature (anaemia, growth hormone deficiency, hypothyroidism, coeliac disease, renal failure, metabolic bone diseases, renal tubular acidosis, inflammatory bowel disease, Turner syndrome [TS]). We advise molecular array analysis rather than conventional karyotyping for short girls because this detects not only TS but also copy number variants and uniparental isodisomy, increasing diagnostic yield at a lower cost. Third, in case of diagnostic clues for primary growth disorders, further specific testing for candidate genes or a hypothesis-free approach is indicated; suspicion of a secondary growth disorder warrants adequate further targeted testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan M Wit
- Department of Paediatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands,
| | - Gerdine A Kamp
- Department of Paediatrics, Tergooi Hospital, Blaricum, The Netherlands
| | - Wilma Oostdijk
- Department of Paediatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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de Castro LF, Magalhães Gonzaga MDF, Naves LA, Luiz Mendonça J, Oton de Lima B, Casulari LA. Beneficial Effects of High Doses of Cabergoline in the Treatment of Giant Prolactinoma Resistant to Dopamine Agonists: A Case Report with a 21-Year Follow-Up. Horm Res Paediatr 2018; 89:63-70. [PMID: 28954263 DOI: 10.1159/000479511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Prolactinomas are pituitary tumors with a very low prevalence in childhood and adolescence compared to adulthood. This condition is preferentially treated with dopamine agonists. Resistance to these drugs is rare. CASE REPORT We describe the case of a boy diagnosed with macroadenoma at the age of 9 and followed up for 21 years. He did not fully respond to treatment with dopamine agonists. His initial prolactin level was 2,400 ng/mL (in males, normal values are <16.0 ng/mL) and never normalized. At the last assessment, his prolactin level was 21.5 ng/mL, recorded after 21 years of treatment with the dopamine agonist cabergoline at a dose as high as 4.5 mg per week. Although the prolactin level remained elevated throughout the follow-up period, the patient never presented a low testosterone level and had normal pubertal development. An MRI of the sella turcica showed that the tumor became progressively cystic and disappeared, but a normal pituitary gland was observed. The pituitary gland retained its normal functions despite a partially empty sella. DISCUSSION Long-term treatment with high doses of cabergoline may cause cystic degeneration of a prolactinoma considered to be resistant to this treatment, but we cannot rule out the possibility that this outcome represents the natural development of the tumor.
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Abstract
Growth hormone (GH) research and its clinical application for the treatment of growth disorders span more than a century. During the first half of the 20th century, clinical observations and anatomical and biochemical studies formed the basis of the understanding of the structure of GH and its various metabolic effects in animals. The following period (1958-1985), during which pituitary-derived human GH was used, generated a wealth of information on the regulation and physiological role of GH - in conjunction with insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) - and its use in children with GH deficiency (GHD). The following era (1985 to present) of molecular genetics, recombinant technology and the generation of genetically modified biological systems has expanded our understanding of the regulation and role of the GH-IGF axis. Today, recombinant human GH is used for the treatment of GHD and various conditions of non-GHD short stature and catabolic states; however, safety concerns still accompany this therapeutic approach. In the future, new therapeutics based on various components of the GH-IGF axis might be developed to further improve the treatment of such disorders. In this Review, we describe the history of GH research and clinical use with a particular focus on disorders in childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael B Ranke
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, University Children's Hospital, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jan M Wit
- Department of Pediatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
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Vuralli D, Gonc EN, Ozon ZA, Alikasifoglu A, Kandemir N. Clinical and laboratory parameters predicting a requirement for the reevaluation of growth hormone status during growth hormone treatment: Retesting early in the course of GH treatment. Growth Horm IGF Res 2017; 34:31-37. [PMID: 28511077 DOI: 10.1016/j.ghir.2017.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2016] [Revised: 04/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We aimed to define the predictive criteria, in the form of specific clinical, hormonal and radiological parameters, for children with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) who may benefit from the reevaluation of GH status early in the course of growth hormone (GH) treatment. DESIGN AND METHODS Two hundred sixty-five children with growth hormone deficiency were retested by GH stimulation at the end of the first year of GH treatment. The initial clinical and laboratory characteristics of those with a normal (GH≥10ng/ml) response and those with a subnormal (GH<10ng/ml) response were compared to predict a normal GH status during reassessment. RESULTS Sixty-nine patients (40.6%) out of the 170 patients with isolated growth hormone deficiency (IGHD) had a peak GH of ≥10ng/ml during the retest. None of the patients with multiple pituitary hormone deficiency (MPHD) had a peak GH of ≥10ng/ml. Puberty and sex steroid priming in peripubertal cases increased the probability of a normal GH response. Only one patient with IGHD who had an ectopic posterior pituitary without stalk interruption on MRI analysis showed a normal GH response during the retest. Patients with a peak GH between 5 and 10ng/ml, an age at diagnosis of ≥9years or a height gain below 0.61 SDS during the first year of treatment had an increased probability of having a normal GH response at the retest. CONCLUSION Early reassessment of GH status during GH treatment is unnecessary in patients who have MPHD with at least 3 hormone deficiencies. Retesting at the end of the first year of therapy is recommended for patients with IGHD who have a height gain of <0.61 SDS in the first year of treatment, especially those with a normal or 'hypoplastic' pituitary on imaging. Priming can increase the likelihood of a normal response in patients in the pubertal age group who do not show overt signs of pubertal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dogus Vuralli
- Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Ankara, Turkey.
| | - E Nazli Gonc
- Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Z Alev Ozon
- Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Ayfer Alikasifoglu
- Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Nurgun Kandemir
- Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Ankara, Turkey
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Deillon E, Hauschild M, Faouzi M, Stoppa-Vaucher S, Elowe-Gruau E, Dwyer A, Theintz GE, Dubuis JM, Mullis PE, Pitteloud N, Phan-Hug F. Natural history of growth hormone deficiency in a pediatric cohort. Horm Res Paediatr 2016; 83:252-61. [PMID: 25676059 DOI: 10.1159/000369392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2014] [Accepted: 10/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS Controversies still exist regarding the evaluation of growth hormone deficiency (GHD) in childhood at the end of growth. The aim of this study was to describe the natural history of GHD in a pediatric cohort. METHODS This is a retrospective study of a cohort of pediatric patients with GHD. Cases of acquired GHD were excluded. Univariate logistic regression was used to identify predictors of GHD persisting into adulthood. RESULTS Among 63 identified patients, 47 (75%) had partial GHD at diagnosis, while 16 (25%) had complete GHD, including 5 with multiple pituitary hormone deficiencies. At final height, 50 patients underwent repeat stimulation testing; 28 (56%) recovered and 22 (44%) remained growth hormone (GH) deficient. Predictors of persisting GHD were: complete GHD at diagnosis (OR 10.1, 95% CI 2.4-42.1), pituitary stalk defect or ectopic pituitary gland on magnetic resonance imaging (OR 6.5, 95% CI 1.1-37.1), greater height gain during GH treatment (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.0-3.3), and IGF-1 level <-2 standard deviation scores (SDS) following treatment cessation (OR 19.3, 95% CI 3.6-103.1). In the multivariate analysis, only IGF-1 level <-2 SDS (OR 13.3, 95% CI 2.3-77.3) and complete GHD (OR 6.3, 95% CI 1.2-32.8) were associated with the outcome. CONCLUSION At final height, 56% of adolescents with GHD had recovered. Complete GHD at diagnosis, low IGF-1 levels following retesting, and pituitary malformation were strong predictors of persistence of GHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Deillon
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Obesity, University Hospital Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Shen Y, Zhang J, Zhao Y, Yan Y, Liu Y, Cai J. Diagnostic value of serum IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in growth hormone deficiency: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Eur J Pediatr 2015; 174:419-27. [PMID: 25213432 DOI: 10.1007/s00431-014-2406-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2014] [Revised: 08/08/2014] [Accepted: 08/19/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) are conventionally considered available for the diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency (GHD), but the results about their diagnostic values are inconsistent among some recent epidemiological studies. The aim of this study is to assess the diagnostic values of serum IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 for GHD by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis. Studies on serum IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 used in GHD diagnosis were systematically searched from databases PubMed, EMBASE, and CNKI (up to December 2013). Characteristics of the studies and data were independently collected according to the inclusion criteria by two authors. The quality of included studies was assessed using quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies (QUADAS). Both sensitivity (SEN) and specificity (SPE) of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in GHD diagnosis were estimated on statistical software Meta-DiSc and Stata. A total of 12 studies were included for the final analysis. IGF-1 had SEN of 0.66, SPE of 0.69, positive likelihood ratio (PLR) of 2.48, negative likelihood ratio (NLR) of 0.51, area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve (SROC) of 0.78, and Q* value of 0.72. Serum IGFBP-3 had SEN of 0.50, SPE of 0.79, PLR of 2.69, NLR of 0.64, area under SROC of 0.80, and Q* value of 0.73. CONCLUSION Serum IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 are useful for the diagnosis of GHD and can be utilized as auxiliary diagnosis indexes for provocative test.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Shen
- Department of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China,
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Gonc EN, Ozon A, Alikasifoglu A, Kandemir N. Pros of priming in the diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab 2011; 24:9-11. [PMID: 21528807 DOI: 10.1515/jpem.2011.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Priming with sex steroids in stimulation tests for the diagnosis of GHD is still under debate. Most of the data on utility of priming during GH stimulation so far seem to support its use in the diagnosis of GHD in childhood. There is a propensity to treat growth retarded children who test subnormally to stimulation tests with GH. However, some studies analyzing the final height or height gain during GH treatment in such children failed to show any improvement in height. This paper summarizes previous studies on priming to analyze the utility of priming as a valid method to better the diagnostic capacity of the test.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Nazli Gonc
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
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Hauffa BP, Lehmann N, Bettendorf M, Mehls O, Dörr HG, Stahnke N, Steinkamp H, Said E, Ranke MB. Central laboratory reassessment of IGF-I, IGF-binding protein-3, and GH serum concentrations measured at local treatment centers in growth-impaired children: implications for the agreement between outpatient screening and the results of somatotropic axis functional testing. Eur J Endocrinol 2007; 157:597-603. [PMID: 17984239 DOI: 10.1530/eje-07-0338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood GH deficiency, suspected in the presence of decreased height velocity and short stature, is usually characterized by low IGF-I and IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) serum concentrations and is conventionally confirmed by diminished GH peak responses to pharmacological stimuli. OBJECTIVE We evaluated the agreement between different IGF-I (IGFBP-3) assays in predicting GH deficiency and tested whether variability between growth factor screening and pharmacological testing could be diminished by reassessment of growth factor and GH peak concentrations in a single laboratory. DESIGN Using the Tuebingen IGF-I (IGFBP-3) RIA, 317 (321) sera from children evaluated for growth disorders in 19 centers were reanalyzed. In 103 children with insulin hypoglycemia and arginine tests, we evaluated how the association between the outcome of growth factor screening and functional testing would change if different assays were employed. RESULTS Locally measured IGF-I correlated better than IGFBP-3 with the results of the central laboratory (Tuebingen) assay (slope of the regression curve 1.05; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.01-1.1 versus 1.18; 95% CI 1.09-1.3). Agreement between local and central laboratory assays in predicting GH deficiency was better for IGF-I than for IGFBP-3 assays (kappa =0.59 versus kappa =0.47). The poor agreement between growth factor screening and GH pharmacological testing was not improved when hormone concentrations were remeasured in the central laboratory (kappa local=-0.0031, central=0.12). CONCLUSIONS In children with impaired growth, growth factor screening reflects different aspects of GH insufficiency than does functional testing. Agreement between these approaches is poor and could not be improved by reduction of assay-related variability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berthold P Hauffa
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology, University Children's Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
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Zucchini S, Pirazzoli P, Baronio F, Gennari M, Bal MO, Balsamo A, Gualandi S, Cicognani A. Effect on adult height of pubertal growth hormone retesting and withdrawal of therapy in patients with previously diagnosed growth hormone deficiency. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2006; 91:4271-6. [PMID: 16912138 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2006-0383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT GH replacement therapy in GH-deficient (GHD) patients is usually continued until adult height despite the fact that most of these subjects display a normal secretion when retested at the end of growth. Puberty is the most likely time for normalization of GH secretion. OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study are to establish the characteristics and the percentage of the subjects with isolated GHD who normalized secretion at puberty and to compare their statural outcomes with those of the subjects with persistent deficiency treated also after retesting. DESIGN AND SETTING This was a prospective, nonrandomized, open-label study conducted in a university research hospital. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTION Sixty-nine subjects (40 male, 29 female) with a diagnosis before puberty of isolated GHD by means of arginine and l-dopa tests were reevaluated with the same tests after at least 2 yr of therapy and after puberty onset. If GH peak at retesting was more than 10 microg/liter, therapy was withdrawn. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Percentage and characteristics of normalized subjects at retesting, outcome of treatment in the subjects treated or untreated to adult height, and factors predictive of growth outcome were measured. RESULTS At retesting, 44 subjects (63.7%) confirmed a GH peak less than 10 microg/liter (24 of 40 male and 20 of 29 female). Apart from a less delayed bone age at diagnosis in females, the subjects with confirmed GHD were not different at diagnosis from the other group for height deficit at diagnosis, first year growth response to GH, age and height at puberty onset, height, and IGF-I at retesting. Mean adult height was 165.1 +/- 4.5 cm in the male group treated until adult height vs. 164.0 +/- 3.4 cm in the group who suspended therapy at retesting. Mean adult height was 153.2 +/- 4.1 cm in the female group treated until adult height vs. 152.9 +/- 5.2 cm in the group that suspended therapy at retesting. As regards the parameters expressing the final outcome, the only difference was found in the mean increment adult height-target height sd score in favor of the male group treated until adult height. In both sexes, therapy duration and GH levels at diagnosis and at retesting were unrelated to adult height parameters and to height increments during the period of observation. CONCLUSIONS One third of our GHD subjects diagnosed before puberty presented a normal secretion at puberty. The withdrawal of GH therapy in these subjects after retesting was not associated with a catch down growth, and they obtained an adult height similar to those obtained by the GHD subjects treated until adult height. It seems convenient, in subjects with nonsevere GHD, to retest GH secretion at midpuberty and to withdraw treatment for the subjects that are no longer deficient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Zucchini
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Bologna, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, 40138 Bologna, Italy.
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