No abstract

No abstract

Objective Recent studies have shown a relationship between vitamin D status, growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor 1 axis. Aims of the study are: 1- To evaluate the vitamin-D blood level in children on substitution treatment with rhGH. 2. To find out correlation between the vitamin D level and growth velocity with rhGH therapy, height, height SDS, height/height SDS after 1 year of treatment Methods The study included 173 prepubertal children, with short stature on treatment with rhGH (90 girls and 81 boys), aged between 2 and 10.3 years. To determine vitamin D status we measured serum 1,25-OH vitamin D by taking a single blood sample in the morning, in a fasting stage. Growth velocity over the year of observation, starting height, height SDS, height at the end of the year and its SDS all were calculated and correlated to vitamin D level. Results In the present study: 56 patients had vitamin D deficiency (<10 ng/ml); 54 had vitamin D insufficiency (10–20 ng/ml) and 63 had vitamin D sufficiency (>20 ng/ml). No statistical significance correlation was found between vitamin D level and height, height SDS, follow up height, and follow up height SDS (P.09, .066, .455, .927 respectively) Significant positive correlation was found between vitamin D and growth velocity (r .445 and P.0001). Conclusions Optimizing vitamin D level in patients with short stature under growth hormone therapy may improve growth velocity and response to growth hormone.

Objective Normal thyroid function is important for optimal growth. Contradictory studies are available on the impact of rhGH treatment on thyroid function. Study aim is to evaluate the effect of rhGH treatment on thyroid function. Methods Study involved 102 euthyroid, prepubertal patients with growth hormone deficiency treated with rhGH. For all children, basal thyroid function, height, height velocity after 1 year of treatment, thyroid function every 3 months during the first year of treatment, all were performed. Results At 3 months of treatment 12 patients had elevated TSH, with or without low free T4. The remaining patients had normal free T4 (but lower than the basal one in most of the patients), with no TSH difference. The latter results were normalized at 1 year. Growth velocity was significantly lower in patients with hypothyroidism. Conclusion Thyroid profile may be affected in patients with short stature on growth hormone treatment which may negatively impact treatment response.

No abstract