rhGH treatment in corticosteroid-treated patients

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Metabolic Disorders
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Children with chronic diseases often experience metabolic abnormalities, including growth deceleration and altered body composition (osteoporosis, muscle wasting, increased fat mass).
• Glucocorticoid (GC) therapy is a significant contributor to these GC-related metabolic consequences.
• Recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) therapy has been utilized to mitigate these adverse effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy and safety of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) therapy in children and adolescents with chronic diseases treated with glucocorticoids.
• To assess the impact of rhGH on growth velocity, body composition, and metabolic parameters.

Main Methods:

• Review of short- and mid-term data from rhGH treatment in pediatric patients with chronic conditions (e.g., juvenile idiopathic arthritis, post-renal transplantation).
• Analysis of growth response, body composition changes (bone mineral density, lean mass, fat mass), and glucose tolerance.
• Monitoring for disease progression and adverse events.

Main Results:

• rhGH therapy effectively counteracted GC-induced growth suppression in the short and mid-term.
• Significant interindividual variability was observed in the growth response to rhGH.
• rhGH treatment demonstrated good safety, with no significant adverse effects on disease progression or glucose tolerance.

Conclusions:

• rhGH therapy is effective in improving growth and body composition in children and adolescents suffering from chronic diseases and GC treatment.
• Further long-term follow-up is necessary to fully ascertain the impact of rhGH on adult height, body composition, and potential long-term consequences like hyperinsulinism.