[Dwarfism in the Alagille syndrome caused by somatomedin C deficiency?]

Alagille syndrome (= arterio-hepatic dysplasia) is a rare congenital syndrome consisting of cholestasis with paucity of intrahepatic bile ducts, pulmonary artery stenosis, skeletal anomalies and typical facies. Growth retardation, which is not correlated with vertebral anomalies or the degree of cholestasis, occurs in about two thirds of patients. We report on hormonal aspects of growth retardation in an 8 year old Austrian boy with the typical features of arteriohepatic dysplasia. Thyroid function and a cortisol profile were normal and we found normal HGH response to insulin stimulation. The Somatomedin C-activity was well below the age-adjusted normal range. Even after test-induced HGH peaks no increase in Somatomedin C-activity could be observed. A six month course of phenobarbital-, cholestyramine- and D-penicillamine-therapy led to significant improvement of cholestasis, however Somatomedin C values and growth velocity remained unchanged. Results in our patients show that Somatomedin C-deficiency might be an important cause of growth retardation in children with chronic liver disease, at least in arteriohepatic dysplasia.