Related Experiment Videos
Effect of exogenous corticosteroid therapy on growth in children with HBsAg-negative chronic aggressive hepatitis
Insights
Corticosteroid therapy impacts growth in children with chronic aggressive hepatitis. Daily prednisone reduced growth velocity, while alternate-day prednisone showed a positive effect on growth, even after discontinuation.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Hepatology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Chronic aggressive hepatitis in children can impact growth.
- Exogenous corticosteroid therapy is a common treatment modality.
- Understanding the effects of different corticosteroid regimens on growth is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of daily versus alternate-day prednisone therapy on growth velocity in pediatric patients with HBsAg-negative chronic aggressive hepatitis.
- To compare growth changes during and after corticosteroid therapy with normal growth rates.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of growth records from 12 pediatric patients (under 13 years) with chronic aggressive hepatitis.
- Analysis of growth velocity during daily prednisone, alternate-day prednisone, and 1 year post-therapy.
- Comparison of patient growth velocities with age-matched normal children.
Main Results:
- Daily prednisone therapy significantly reduced growth velocity (p<0.01).
- Alternate-day prednisone therapy showed an accelerated growth velocity (p<0.03), which continued post-therapy (p<0.02).
- Nine out of 12 patients shifted growth percentiles during steroid treatment.
Conclusions:
- Daily corticosteroid administration is associated with reduced linear growth in children with chronic aggressive hepatitis.
- Alternate-day corticosteroid therapy appears to have a beneficial effect on growth, likely due to disease control.
- The mechanism behind the accelerated growth rate during alternate-day therapy requires further investigation.
Abstract:
The effect of exogenous corticosteroid therapy on growth was studied in 12 patients with HBsAg-negative chronic aggressive hepatitis. All patients were less than 13 years of age at diagnosis and were free of cirrhosis. The patients' growth records were retrospectively reviewed for incremental growth changes while they were receiving daily prednisone and alternate-day prednisone, as well as for 1 year after the cessation of therapy. These values were compared with age-matched growth velocities in normal children. Daily steroid therapy was associated with a reduction in growth velocity (p less than 0.01). There was an acceleration in growth velocity during the period of alternate-day therapy, compared with predicted values (p less than 0.03), which persisted during the 1st year after therapy was discontinued (p less than 0.02). Nine of 12 patients crossed growth percentiles during steroid therapy. We have confirmed that daily steroid administration is associated with a reduction in linear growth, while alternate-day therapy has an apparent positive effect on growth, presumably through control of the underlying disease. The mechanism of this supranormal growth rate is unclear.