Treatment of children with congenital heart disease and growth retardation with recombinant human growth hormone

Seven prepubertal short children with congenital heart disease were treated with recombinant human growth hormone (GH). Although complete surgical correction was performed for their heart disease at least 2 years before the start of GH therapy, improvement in growth was less than expected in these children. They received 0.5 IU kg⁻¹ week⁻¹ of GH daily for 2 years or more. The growth rate increased from a mean of 4.3 cm year⁻¹ before treatment to a mean of 7.8 cm year⁻¹ in the first year and to a mean of 6.3 cm year⁻¹ in the second year of treatment. Their mean standardized height improved from −3.41 ± 0.78 to −2.54 ± 0.62 after 2 years. The mean height age difference minus the bone age difference became positive in these children. We conclude that recombinant GH increases the growth rate in children with congenital heart disease and prepubertal growth retardation.     

Changes with growth hormone treatment in growth hormone deficient children

A total of 54 previously untreated patients (15 girls, 39 boys) with poor growth due to idiopathic growth hormone deficiency (IGHD) were treated with human growth hormone (hGH), continuously up to 4 years. All of the patients had a peak hGH level which was below 10 ng/mL after at least two pharmacological tests and/or blunted physiologic hGH secretion, and their height was below ?2.5 s.d. for age and gender. After the 1st year of therapy, height velocity (HV) increased significantly when compared with baseline (from 3.18 ±0.76 cm/year to 9.17±1.03 cm/year; P <0.001), declined during the 2nd year and then remained significantly higher than pretreatment HV. When considering improvement in height expressed by height standard deviation score (SDS), during the therapy all of the patients showed a significant gain ± 1.72±1.09 (from ?4.11±0.61 to ?2.21±0.48). The height values were significantly higher than pretreatment, but remained below ?2 s.d. after 4 years of hGH therapy in our patients. Increased height velocity has been sustained, but height improvement after therapy was inversely correlated to height SDS for chronological age of patients at the start of therapy. In conclusion post-treatment height has been shown to be related to height deficit at the beginning of therapy. Therapy was well tolerated with no local or systemic adverse effects or acceleration of bone age.     

Three-year data from a comparative study with recombinant human growth hormone in the treatment of short stature in young children with intrauterine growth retardation

Growth acceleration and bone maturation were studied for 3 y in 69 children with severe short stature and a history of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), to determine the effect of treatment with recombinant human growth hormone (r-hGH). The patients were enrolled in an open, multicentre trial and were randomly allocated to either the treated group (Group 1) or the control group (Group 2). The children in Group 1 were treated daily with 0.2 IU/kg/body weight (0.067 mg/kg) s.c, during 3 y and the children in Group 2 started the study with a 1-y observation period followed by a 3-y treatment period. At birth, their mean weight standard deviation score (SDS) was -2.5 and their mean length SDS -3.5. At baseline, the patients were prepubertal, non-GHdeficient, with no known dysmorphic features. Mean age was 4.5 y, bone age was 3.3 y, height SDS was -3.4, height velocity (HV) SDS was -1.6, and body mass index SDS was -1.4. After 1 y of treatment, linear HV in Group 1 increased in comparison with the pre-treatment period (from 5.7 ± 2.0 to 10.1 ± 1.7cm/y; p < 0:001)and with the firstyear of observation in Group2( p < 0:001). Increased HV was sustained during the second and third year of treatment and was significantly higher than at baseline. A similar growth pattern was seen during the 3y of GH treatment in Group 2. Mean height SDS for chronological age increased by 2.0 ± 0.7 in the two groups after 3 y of treatment. HV after 1 y of treatment was negatively correlated with growth velocity at baseline. Bone age remained retarded but increased with a mean of almost 4 y after 3y of treatment in both groups. Even at a dose that is three times the replacement dose treatment with r-hGH was well tolerated. From these results, we conclude that r-hGH treatment over 3 y can induce sustained catch-up growth in young children with severe short stature and a history of IUGR. Long-term studies are needed to assess ultimate effects on final height.     

生长激素缺乏症患儿重组人生长激素治疗前、后肾上腺皮质功能的变化

目的观察生长激素缺乏症(GHD)患儿重组人生长激素(rh GH)治疗前、后肾上腺皮质功能的变化。方法选取72例确诊GHD并接受rh GH治疗6个月以上的患儿,其中32例伴促肾上腺皮质激素(ACTH)缺乏,回顾性分析其在接受rh GH治疗前及治疗后3、6个月时清晨空腹血皮质醇(COR)、ACTH水平的变化。结果 32例伴ACTH缺乏患儿通过外源性补充氢化可的松(HC)使COR达正常水平后,再开始rh GH治疗,治疗前COR水平和使COR达正常下限时的HC剂量呈显著负相关(r=-0.899,P0.01)。单纯HC治疗1个月后COR水平较治疗前明显增高,ACTH水平明显下降,差异均有统计学意义(P0.001);经rh GH和HC替代治疗后3、6个月后COR及ACTH水平与单纯HC治疗1个月差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。40例无ACTH缺乏患儿在rh GH治疗后COR水平显著降低,与治疗前比较差异有统计学意义(P0.01),其中10例MRI显示下丘脑-垂体异常患儿表现为COR水平低下。结论 GHD患儿在rh GH治疗过程中可出现肾上腺皮质功能减低,特别是MRI显示垂体异常的患儿,应注意监测肾上腺皮质功能,及早干预。     

儿童矮小症应用生长激素的长期安全性

生长激素(GH)于1956年首先从人垂体中分离出,其生物化学结构直到1972年才阐明.重组DNA技术和基因工程方法,实现了人生长激素(hGH)的大规模生产,使hGH普遍利用成为可能.文章综述生长激素在儿童生长激素缺乏症、慢性肾功能不全、Turner综合征、Prader-Willi综合征、小于胎龄儿持续矮小、特发性矮小、矮小同源异型盒基因(SHOX)缺陷疾病中的应用方法和安全性.提示重组hGH用于儿童的安全性令人满意,但也需注意有潜在风险的特殊群体.     

Rheumatoid arthritis and growth retardation in children: Treatment with human growth hormone

Twenty patients with rheumatoid arthritis or Still's disease associated with growth failure were treated with human growth hormone, 7.5 to 17 U/m² body surface per week.Five patients did not respond with better growth. In the remainder the mean growth rate increased from 1.9 cm/year (range: 0 to 3.3) to 6.2 cm/year (range: 3.6 to 12) over 5 to 7 months. Twelve patients treated for longer periods increased their mean growth rate from 2.3 cm/year (range: 0.7 to 5.7) to 6.3 cm/year (range: 2.4 to 9.7) and continued to grow during a second year of treatment. Growth velocity decreased in 6 patients when the hGH therapy was discontinued.The causes for this improvement in growth are possibly multifactorial: the growth rate is depressed by the severity of the disease and high-dose glucocorticoid therapy. Increases of growth rate occured during improvements in the disease, reduction of steroid medication, as a result of therapy with human growth hormone, and because of puberty in some patients.Human growth hormone seemed to improve the underlying condition of four of the patients but had no influence on the disease in the remaining children.On the occasion of the 75th birthday of Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Adolf Butenandt     

rhGH替代治疗对生长激素缺乏儿童糖代谢的影响

目的探讨重组人生长激素(rhGH)替代治疗对生长激素缺乏症(GHD)儿童糖和胰岛素代谢的影响以及 GH 与糖代谢平衡之间的关系。方法对44例(男28例,女16例)4.5～16.5(10.4±2.6)岁 GHD 患儿在接受 rhGH 治疗前及治疗后每3个月检测体重指数、胰岛素样生长因子-1(IGF-1)、行口服葡萄糖耐量试验,计算稳态模型胰岛素抵抗指数。结果 (1)空腹血糖和 IGF-1在治疗3个月时即显著提高,一直持续较高水平,每个随访时间点与治疗前比较,差异均有统计学意义(F=6.81,7.31,P 均<0.01);稳态模型胰岛素抵抗指数和空腹胰岛素分别在治疗3和9个月时提高(P<0.01和 P<0.05),1年后下降,治疗1年半时与治疗前比较,差异已无统计学意义(均 P>0.05)。(2)相关分析发现,稳态模型胰岛素抵抗指数与体重指数、IGF-1和治疗持续时间显著相关(r=0.251,0.437,0.281,P 均<0.001)。二次方程曲线回归分析发现,稳态模型胰岛素抵抗指数与治疗持续时间呈近似抛物线量变关系。(3)发现2例暂时性高血糖,分别在停用 rhGH 治疗后1个月和5d 血糖恢复正常,再注射 rh GH 后,行口服葡萄糖耐量试验正常。结论 GHD 儿童接受 rhGH 治疗(尤第1年内)可增加胰岛素抵抗,极少数引起短暂糖代谢紊乱。循环 IGF-1可能参与控制胰岛素的敏感性,在 GH 与胰岛素平衡间起重要作用。有必要对所有接受 rhGH 治疗者定期监测糖代谢指标和 IGF-1水平。     

国产重组人生长激素治疗生长激素缺乏症的临床疗效

目的为评价国产重组人生长激素(r-hGH)治疗生长激素缺乏症(GHD)的有效性和安全性.方法用国产r-hGH对62例GHD患者进行了为期6个月的临床治疗.结果患儿平均身高从治疗前116.23±15.54 cm增加至122.53±15.30 crn,平均6个月净增高数为6.3±1.79 C1m,有显著性差异(P<0.01),生长速率从2.46±0.87 cm/a提高至12.61±3.58 cm/a,净生长速率为10.15±3.31 cm/a,较治疗前明显增高(P<0.01),提示r-hGH治疗GHD的促身高增长效果显著.完全性GH缺乏者治疗6个月身高净增高了6.58±1.68 cm,较部分性GH缺乏者治疗6个月身高净增高了5.28±1.91 Cm,有显著性差异,说明r-hGH治疗完全性GH缺乏者较部分性GH缺乏者更为有效.结论 r-hGH治疗GHD的疗效确切,有明显的促身高增长的作用,而对骨龄成熟无明显加速影响,该药使用安全,无明显副作用.     

Effects of growth hormone therapy in prepubertal children with short stature secondary to intrauterine growth retardation

A total of 130 short children were included in a French multicentre study and randomized between a control group (group A) and two groups treated with daily subcutaneous injections of GH at doses of 0.7 IU/kg/week (group B) and 1.4 IU/kg/week (group C) for 2 years. Height velocity was significantly increased ( p <0.0005) in groups B and C, with a greater increase in group C than in group B ( p < 0.001). The benefit after 2 years compared with controls was 4.3 cm in group B and 5.9 cm in group C. The rate of bone maturation was not affected by GH therapy. These results led to the conclusion that 2 years of treatment with GH improves final height prognosis in children with short stature secondary to IUGR, and that this effect is dose dependent. The effect on final height has still to be demonstrated.     

Long-term response to human growth hormone in 36 children with idiopathic growth hormone deficiency

The results of long term treatment with human growth hormone (Crescormon^®, 12.4 IU/m²/week) in 36 patients with idiopathic growth hormone deficiency are given. Birth trauma—in particular assisted breech delivery (30%)—is the major aetiological cause. Twelve patients had isolated growth hormone deficiency (IGHD), 24 had multiple pituitary hormone deficiencies (MPHD) of which 19 were treated with additional thyroid hormones. The results were judged by the criteria of height velocity, total height gain and change of height prediction (TW₂, age based).It is concluded that the growth hormone dose chosen in many cases is insufficient to maintain high growth rates after the first year of treatment, when catch-up no longer takes place. The tendency of patients supplemented with thyroid hormone to grow better—without additional bone-age advancement—calls for careful search for hypothyroidism and suggests the use of thyroxin in cases of doubt.     

Psychosocial aspects and psychiatric disorders in children with thalassemia major

β-thalassemia major (TM), a chronic, genetically determined hematological disorder, has received little investigation on the psychological aspects of the disease and the psychosocial adjustment of patients with this anemia. In the present study, the aim was to assess the mental capacity, self-image, hopelessness and anxiety displayed by children who suffered from TM, and to investigate the existence of psychiatric disorders in these children. Twenty-five children (16 boys and 9 girls) with TM, 12.0–19.6 years old, from the Hematology Unit of the Department of Pediatrics at the SSK Tepecik Teaching Hospital, were included in the study. Fifteen healthy cases matched for age, sex and socio-economic status were used as controls. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (or Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale), Offer Self-Image Questionnaire, Beck Hopelessness Scale, Trait Anxiety Inventory, Symptom Check List (revised) and the Family Assessment Device were performed on all patients. Then, the patients were evaluated for a psychiatric disorder by a psychiatrist (according to the diagnostic criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV of the American Psychiatric Association). The results for the patients and control cases were compared statistically using Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Self-image was found to be significantly lower in patients with TM than in control cases (P < 0.01). Hopelessness and Trait-Anxiety scores were determined to be significantly higher in patients with TM than in control cases (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). Eighty percent of the patients with TM have had at least one psychiatric disorder. As a result, the study showed that most of the patients with TM had severe psychosocial problems. Relying on these data, it was concluded that medical therapy of these patients should be supported with psychological aid and psychiatric treatment.     

Oral administration of arginine enhances the growth hormone response to growth hormone releasing hormone in short children

We have evaluated the effect of oral administration of arginine chlorhydrate on the growth hormone response to growth hormone releasing hormone in a group of nine short prepubertal children (six boys and four girls). Arginine chlorhydrate 10 g, administered orally 60 min before an iv bolus injection of growth hormone releasing hormone 1–29, 1 μg/kg, significantly enhanced the growth hormone response to the neuropeptidc, confirming the results of previous studies which used the iv route. Furthermore, our data strengthen the view that the effects of arginine chlorhydrate on growth hormone secretion are mediated by inhibition of endogenous somatostatin release.     

Oral administration of arginine enhances the growth hormone response to growth hormone releasing hormone in short children

We have evaluated the effect of oral administration of arginine chlorhydrate on the growth hormone response to growth hormone releasing hormone in a group of nine short prepubertal children (six boys and four girls). Arginine chlorhydrate 10 g, administered orally 60 min before an iv bolus injection of growth hormone releasing hormone 1–29, 1 μg/kg, significantly enhanced the growth hormone response to the neuropeptidc, confirming the results of previous studies which used the iv route. Furthermore, our data strengthen the view that the effects of arginine chlorhydrate on growth hormone secretion are mediated by inhibition of endogenous somatostatin release.     

Prediction of the growth response in children with various growth disorders treated with growth hormone: analyses of data from the Kabi Pharmacia International Growth Study

Analyses to predict the growth response to recombinant human growth hormone (GH) in prepubertal children during the first year of treatment were performed on data from 472 patients with idiopathic GH deficiency (IGHD), 202 children with Turner's syndrome, 327 children with idiopathic short stature (ISS) and 135 children with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). In IGHD, 56% of the variability of the response could be predicted from a model based on six variables. These variables could be ranked in order of importance as follows: target height SDS minus height SDS, chronological age, frequency of GH injections, dose of GH, weight-for-height index, and birth weight SDS. When the model for IGHD was applied to Turner's syndrome, ISS and IUGR, there was a high degree of similarity between the predicted and achieved growth response in ISS and IUGR. However, an uneven distribution within the plot of Studentized residuals in ISS and IUGR suggested heterogeneity within these populations. Prediction of growth in Turner's syndrome was greatly exaggerated by the model for IGHD, suggesting a different pathogenesis as the basis of the growth disorder. Specific prediction models were therefore developed for Turner's syndrome, ISS and IUGR. In all three disorders, the dose of GH was found to be the most important predictor, suggesting that, in contrast to IGHD, first-year growth is governed less by the difference between height and the presumed genetically determined target height. Again, in contrast to IGHD, this suggests that catch-up phenomena are not involved. As the predictability of the variation in growth response in Turner's syndrome, ISS and IUGR did not exceed 32% (for ISS), the search for new predictors should continue in these disorders.     

重组人生长激素对不同生长激素分泌状态青春前期矮小患儿近期疗效分析

目的探讨部分性生长激素缺乏症（pGHD）患儿在重组人生长激素（rhGH）治疗后早期追赶性生长的规律。方法回顾性分析62例青春前期不同生长激素（GH）分泌状态矮小患儿用rhGH治疗后,近期（1．5年）追赶性生长指标（生长速度和身高Z分增值）和促生长素轴实验室指标的变化。其中,完全性生长激素缺乏症（cGHD）27例;非GH缺乏性矮小（NGHD）12例;pGHD23例,按GH激发峰值7ng／ml分为pGHD-1（12例）和pGHD-2（11例）两个亚组。结果cGHD和NGHD初始追赶性生长的幅度相似,但NGHD组持续时间较短。pGHD和cGHD以同一rhGH生理替代量治疗后,促生长的应答（生长速度和AIGFBP-3SDS）pGHD-1和cGHD差异无统计学意义,但pGHD-2却低于cGHD,而与NGHD差异无统计学意义。结论GH激发试验的诊断界值选用7ng／ml有更合理的依据,诊断pGHD时尤应审慎。pGHD-2组治疗早期的生长追赶不完全可能与rhGH剂量相对不足有关。     

重组人生长激素治疗生长激素缺乏症疗效观察

目的 观察基因重组人生长激素(rhGH)对生长激素缺乏症(GHD)患儿的疗效。方法 对15例GHD患儿应用rhGH治疗,每晚睡前皮下注射0.1 IU/kg,疗程6个月。结果 患儿身高由治疗前109.3±9.9cm增加到115.5±11.3 cm;年身高生长速度由治疗前2.8±0.6cm/年增加到11.6±3.5cm/年。治疗期间除少数患儿出现亚临床甲状腺功能低下,注射部位有轻度反应外,未发现明显副作用。结论 皮下注射rhGH是治疗儿童GHD的一种安全有效的方法。     

生长激素治疗造血干细胞移植后生长障碍儿童的疗效观察

目的　 观察重组人生长激素对造血干细胞移植后生长障碍儿童的疗效和安全性。方法 　用分泌型重组人生长激素 ,剂量为 1u/kg·w ,分 6～ 7次 ,于晚上睡前3 0分钟皮下注射 ,在治疗前后对比生长指标的变化 ,并随访不良反应。结果 　经治疗6个月后身高增长率较治疗前明显提高 ,血清胰岛素样生长因子 -1亦明显升高 ,未发现有严重的不良反应。结论 　生长激素能明显促进造血干细胞移植后生长障碍儿童的身高增长 ,使用安全。     

Prediction of growth response in prepubertal children treated with growth hormone for idiopathic growth hormone deficiency

Several multiple regression models have been developed to predict the first-year growth response to human growth hormone (hGH) in children with growth hormone deficiency (GHD). It was the aim of this study to analyse the significance of various growth parameters for a height prediction model. Data from 148 prepubertal children with idiopathic GHD were evaluated. The prediction model was developed by means of univariate and stepwise linear regression analysis and an “all possible” regression approach using Mallow's C(p) statistics. Six out of eight selected variables had a significant influence on the first-year growth rate. The most important parameter was the difference between target height SDS and height SDS at the start of therapy (THSDS - HSDSC0), accounting for 23.95% and 25.74% of the variability. No other single variable or combination of variables was more informative than the variable THSDS - HSDSC0 alone. From these data, growth velocity for the first year of hGH treatment was estimated as 1.106 (THSDS - HSDSC0) + 6.8 cm/y ± 2.2 cm (SE), allowing a prediction for different intervals between THSDS and HSDSC0. This equation was validated in a small group of 18 GHD patients demonstrating a predicted vs. observed first-year growth rate of 9.4 ± 1.1 vs. 9.5 ± 2.6 cm/y. We conclude that the difference between THSDS and height SDS at the start of therapy is an important predictor of the first-year growth response in children treated with hGH for idiopathic GHD. Unlike in previous studies, additional parameters did not increase predictability.     

Recombinant growth hormone treatment in short patients with thalassemia major: results after 24 and 36 months

Treatment with recombinant growth hormone (rhGH), 0.6 IU/kg/week s.c., previously successfully conducted for one year, was continued in 15 (Group A) and 8 (Group B) short thalassemia major patients with reduced GH reserve, for two and three years, respectively. In Group A, height for chronological age (Ht SDSCA) increased significantly (p = 0.021) from the start of treatment, but the positive effect was only apparent because of the concomitant slight worsening of height for bone age (Ht SDSBA). Median deltaHt SDSCA/deltaHt SDSBA was <1.0 with respect to both the start (0.87) and the end of the first year of rhGH therapy (0.89). IGF-I levels increased significantly (p = 0.043) compared with values both at the start and at the end of the first year of rhGH therapy. In Group B neither Ht SDSCA nor Ht SDSBA differed statistically from starting values, the former having a positive trend and the latter a negative one. Median deltaHt SDSCA/deltaHt SDSBA was 0.92 with respect to the start, and 0.94 with respect to the end of the second year. IGF-I levels increased significantly (p = 0.043) with respect to starting values. Our data show that the encouraging results described from the first year of rhGH treatment did not persist during the second and third years, and we conclude that this is because increase in bone age with continued treatment is equal to, or slightly greater than the height age increase. We propose that patients with thalassemia major with short stature should receive rhGH treatment for only one year, and that more prolonged treatment should be reserved for selected adolescents who have psychological problems due to shortness; for these patients growth acceleration could represent the main goal, even if this leads to a substantially unchanged or slightly decreased final height.