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Comparative Analysis of Human Growth Hormone in Serum Using SPRi, Nano-SPRi and ELISA Assays
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Insulin sensitivity in growth hormone-deficient children: influence of replacement treatment

Giorgio Radetti1, Bruno Pasquino, Elena Gottardi

  • 1Department of Paediatrics, Regional Hospital of Bolzano, Italy. giorgio.radetti@asbz.it

Clinical Endocrinology
|October 12, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Growth hormone (GH) treatment in children with GH deficiency does not cause diabetes. However, it significantly reduces insulin sensitivity (IS) during the first year of therapy.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Metabolic Disorders
  • Growth Hormone Therapy

Background:

  • Excessive growth hormone (GH) secretion in adults can cause secondary diabetes mellitus.
  • Prolonged GH treatment may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in susceptible children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate insulin sensitivity (IS) and glucose tolerance (GT) in GH-deficient children undergoing 6 years of GH treatment.
  • To assess the long-term impact of GH therapy on metabolic health in pediatric patients.

Main Methods:

  • Study included 128 children (88 males, 40 females) with GH deficiency.
  • GH administered subcutaneously at 0.3 mg/kg weekly for 6 years.
  • Insulin sensitivity assessed using the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI); glucose tolerance evaluated using established diabetes classification criteria.

Main Results:

  • No instances of impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes were observed during the 6-year follow-up.
  • Insulin sensitivity, initially lower than controls, significantly decreased in the first year of GH therapy (QUICKI: 0.346 ± 0.033 vs. 0.355 ± 0.044, P < 0.05).
  • No further decline in IS was noted in subsequent years; no correlation found between QUICKI, BMI, treatment duration, and puberty onset.

Conclusions:

  • GH treatment in GH-deficient children is safe regarding glucose tolerance and does not induce type 2 diabetes mellitus.
  • GH therapy significantly diminishes insulin sensitivity in these children, particularly within the first year of treatment.
Abstract

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