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The Association between Somatotropin Therapy and the Risk of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Children with Short Stature: A

Gherta Brill1, Iris Manor2,3, Roberta Bril Paroz4

  • 1Pediatric Endocrinology Unit, Leumit Health Services, Tel-Aviv 6473817, Israel.

Children (Basel, Switzerland)
|December 23, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Children with growth hormone issues (GHI) had higher SARS-CoV-2 rates. Somatotropin treatment in these children was linked to a reduced risk of SARS-CoV-2 positivity, suggesting a potential protective effect.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Immunology

Background:

  • COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, is a global pandemic impacting all age groups.
  • Growth hormone (GH) levels and their associated pathway (IGF-1) interact with the immune system, potentially influencing SARS-CoV-2 infection risk.
  • Children with growth hormone issues (GHI), including growth hormone deficiency (GHD) and idiopathic short stature (ISS), may have altered immune responses.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between somatotropin treatment (GH replacement therapy) and the risk of SARS-CoV-2 positivity in children with GHI.
  • To determine if GH replacement therapy modifies the susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection in pediatric populations with GHI.

Main Methods:

  • A population-based cross-sectional study utilizing electronic health records from Leumit Health Services (LHS).
  • Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 positivity rates in children with GHI, comparing those treated with somatotropin to untreated children.
  • Multivariate analysis to adjust for potential confounding factors relevant to the pediatric population.

Main Results:

  • Children with GHI exhibited higher rates of SARS-CoV-2 positivity compared to the general pediatric population, consistent with known confounders.
  • A significantly lower prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity was observed in children with GHI who were receiving somatotropin treatment.
  • Multivariate analysis confirmed that somatotropin treatment was independently associated with a reduced risk of SARS-CoV-2 positivity (OR = 0.47, CI 0.24-0.94, p = 0.032).

Conclusions:

  • Somatotropin treatment in children with GHI may confer a protective effect against SARS-CoV-2 infection.
  • The potential protective role of somatotropin could be attributed to its immunomodulatory activities.
  • Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms behind GH's influence on immune responses to SARS-CoV-2.

Keywords:
ADHDCOVID-19SARS-CoV-2growth hormonegrowth hormone deficiencyidiopathic short statureimmune systemshort staturesomatotropin

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