Judith Ross, Paul Czernichow, Beverly M. K. Biller, Annamaria Colao,... Wieland Kiess and on behalf of the participants in the... Growth Hormone: Health Considerations Beyond Height Gain
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Judith Ross, Paul Czernichow, Beverly M. K. Biller, Annamaria Colao,... Wieland Kiess and on behalf of the participants in the... Growth Hormone: Health Considerations Beyond Height Gain
Growth Hormone: Health Considerations Beyond Height Gain Judith Ross, Paul Czernichow, Beverly M. K. Biller, Annamaria Colao, Ed Reiter, Wieland Kiess and on behalf of the participants in the advisory panel meeting on the effects of growth hormone Pediatrics 2010;125;e906; originally published online March 22, 2010; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2009-1783 The online version of this article, along with updated information and services, is located on the World Wide Web at: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/125/4/e906.full.html PEDIATRICS is the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. A monthly publication, it has been published continuously since 1948. PEDIATRICS is owned, published, and trademarked by the American Academy of Pediatrics, 141 Northwest Point Boulevard, Elk Grove Village, Illinois, 60007. Copyright © 2010 by the American Academy of Pediatrics. All rights reserved. Print ISSN: 0031-4005. Online ISSN: 1098-4275. Downloaded from pediatrics.aappublications.org by guest on August 22, 2014 Growth Hormone: Health Considerations Beyond Height Gain abstract The therapeutic benefit of growth hormone (GH) therapy in improving height in short children is widely recognized; however, GH therapy is associated with other metabolic actions that may be of benefit in these children. Beneficial effects of GH on body composition have been documented in several different patient populations as well as improvements in lipid profile. Marked augmentation of bone mineral density also seems evident in many pediatric populations. Some of these benefits may require continued therapy past the acquisition of adult height. With long-term therapy of any kind, the adverse consequences of treatment should also be considered. Fortunately, long-term GH treatment seems to be safe and well-tolerated. This review describes the long-term metabolic effects of GH treatment in the pediatric population and considers how these may benefit children who are treated with GH. Pediatrics 2010;125:e906–e918 AUTHORS: Judith Ross, MD,a Paul Czernichow, MD,b Beverly M. K. Biller, MD,c Annamaria Colao, MD, PhD,d Ed Reiter, MD,e and Wieland Kiess, MD,f on behalf of the participants in the advisory panel meeting on the effects of growth hormone aDepartment of Pediatrics, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; bDepartment of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, Necker-Enfants Malades Hôpital, Paris, France; cDepartment of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; dDepartment of Molecular and Clinical Endocrinology and Oncology, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy; eDepartment of Pediatrics, Baystate Children’s Hospital, Springfield, Massachusetts; and fDepartment of Women and Child Health, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany KEY WORDS growth hormone, body composition, metabolism, safety ABBREVIATIONS GH— growth hormone GHD— growth hormone deficiency LBM—lean body mass FM—fat mass QoL— quality of life BMD— bone mineral density SDS—SD score LDL-C—low-density lipoprotein cholesterol HDL-C— high-density lipoprotein cholesterol CVD— cardiovascular disease IGF-I—insulin-like growth factor I BMC— bone mineral content LV—left ventricular SGA—small for gestational age TS—Turner syndrome PWS—Prader-Willi syndrome ISS—idiopathic short stature IGFBP-3—insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 CI— confidence interval www.pediatrics.org/cgi/doi/10.1542/peds.2009-1783 doi:10.1542/peds.2009-1783 Accepted for publication Nov 16, 2009 Address correspondence to Judith Ross, MD, Department of Pediatrics, Thomas Jefferson University, 1025 Walnut St, Suite 726, Philadelphia, PA 19107. E-mail: [email protected] PEDIATRICS (ISSN Numbers: Print, 0031-4005; Online, 1098-4275). Copyright © 2010 by the American Academy of Pediatrics FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: All authors are members of the Global Norditropin Advisory Panel. Dr Reiter is a consultant for Novo Nordisk, Altus, and Indevus; Dr Kiess is a member of the advisory board and received grant support from Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Serono, and Ipsen; Dr Colao has no financial relationships relevant to this article to disclose; Dr Biller has received research grants from Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer and consultant/advisory honoraria from Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, and (Continued on last page) e906 ROSS et al Downloaded from pediatrics.aappublications.org by guest on August 22, 2014 REVIEW ARTICLES In children with growth hormone (GH) deficiency (GHD), the primary role of GH treatment is to increase linear growth.1 Nevertheless, GH is known to have a large number of metabolic effects, involving glucose and lipid homeostasis, as well as beneficial effects on lean body mass (LBM) and fat mass (FM). Studies in adults have highlighted the role of GH in the regulation of protein, carbohydrate, and lipid metabolism; in adults, lack of GH is associated with abnormal body composition, increased cardiovascular morbidity, a poorer quality of life (QoL), and decreased bone mineral density (BMD).2,3 Evidence from studies of adults supports beneficial metabolic effects associated with GH replacement.4,5 Recently, attention has focused on the metabolic consequences of discontinuing GH treatment in adolescents at the cessation of linear growth. In patients who received GH during childhood, discontinuation of treatment has been associated with abnormal body composition (mostly increased FM),6 whereas accumulated data to date suggest that the continuation of GH may help in achieving normal adult body composition.2,7–9 Although the long-term benefits of continuation of GH remain to be firmly established, the aim of this review was to evaluate the metabolic consequences of GH treatment in children and adolescents and the potential beneficial effects of the treatment in this population. ● intervention was biosynthetic hu- man GH (somatropin); ● participants were children who were receiving GH; ● outcomes were changes in meta- bolic parameters in response to GH treatment, including body composition, lipids, and bone density and content; QoL and psychosocial measures were reported when available; and ● we included all studies regardless of design that included primary data about key metabolic end points as well as systematic reviews of randomized clinical trials that assessed the effects of GH (compared with placebo or no intervention) on the basis of any of the mentioned patient-relevant outcomes. GH Deficiency Body Composition In untreated children with GHD, there is increased FM, predominantly distributed centrally, and decreased LBM (mostly muscle mass).10,11 Treatment with GH normalizes percentage FM within 6 months.10 This reduction in total percentage of body fat and regional reductions in percentage of fat of the arms, legs, and trunk is attributable to nonsignificant reductions in FM and significant increases in LBM.12 Classically, there is a reduction of central fat in children who have GHD and are treated with GH.12 Height, LBM, and bone mass also increase with GH therapy but remain lower than normal, even after 6 years of treatment.13 In a 2-year follow-up of 55 prepubertal children who had GHD and were treated with recombinant human GH (30 g/kg per day), muscle mass increased from ⫺2.4 to ⫺1.0 SD score (SDS).11 Most2,3,6–8 but not all9 studies indicated that continuation of GH after adult height can help normalize body composition by continuing to increase the proportion of LBM to FM. In 2 studies, seamless continuation of GH treatment after adult height was achieved demonstrated modest changes in body composition (4%– 6% increase in LBM; 6%– 8% decrease in FM) that were consistent with the body composition changes expected in a normal, healthy population of similar age (Fig 1).2,8 On restarting GH, an increase in LBM of 13% to 14% was observed,2,6,14 which equates to 65% to 85% of the deficit in LBM reported in young adults with childhood-onset GHD compared with age-matched patients with adult-onset GHD.15 This divergence of gain in LBM with continuous GH treatment, versus with an interval of discontinuation of GH, is of importance because increases in muscle mass occur as a feature of healthy late-adolescent devel- METHODS A systematic review of the literature was undertaken. We searched Medline (1950 through July 2009) for Englishlanguage articles. Bibliographies of related articles were assessed for relevant studies to identify additional published references. Studies were included when they fulfilled the following criteria: PEDIATRICS Volume 125, Number 4, April 2010 FIGURE 1 A and B, Total body fat (A) and LBM (B) as assessed from dual-energy radiograph absorptiometry scan at baseline, and after 12 months of placebo followed by 12 months of GH treatment in young adults with GHD. P values versus baseline. Data from ref 2. Downloaded from pediatrics.aappublications.org by guest on August 22, 2014 e907 opment.8 A divergent pattern in the body composition response to GH therapy by gender was reported by Attanasio et al,6 who showed that the reduction in FM in young female adults was less than that in similar-aged male patients. It is suggested that the pattern of response to GH replacement reflected developmental gender dimorphism. In normal development, young male adults lose up to 8% FM, whereas female adults gain up to 6% FM.16 GH is also recognized to have anabolic effects on whole-body protein turnover and cell growth. In children with GHD, GH therapy results in marked nitrogen retention, accelerated linear growth, and weight gain.17 Cardiovascular Effects Discontinuation of GH replacement in adolescents with severe GHD is associated with an increase of several markers of cardiovascular risk as well as an increase in total body and abdominal fat and total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations7,18,19 (Fig 2); however, no apparent change in morphologic parameters measured at the common carotid arteries is evident on stopping GH.18,20 The abnormalities in lipid profile are of particular clinical relevance because they are associated with increased risk for coronary events in the adult population with GHD.21 In addition to the noted increase in total and LDL-C levels, the total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio in adult patients was increased after stopping GH treatment. Data suggest a strong link between serum cholesterol levels measured in early adult life and risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in middle to late adult life,22 reinforcing the need to reduce cholesterol levels in young patients with GHD. Increased levels of fasting and postprandial triglyceriderich lipoproteins have also been ree908 ROSS et al FIGURE 2 Lipid levels in 10 adolescent patients with GHD at study entry, 6 months after withdrawal of GH, and 6 months after GH replacement was restarted. A, total cholesterol. B, LDL-C. C, HDL-C. D, Triglycerides. Data from ref 19. ported in untreated adolescents with GHD and may be related to increased levels of proinflammatory and fibrinolytic markers such as C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor ␣.18,23–25 Although GH treatment improves lipid profiles in the majority of studies in adults with GHD, results from studies in adolescents are not conclusive.2,6,8,14,19,26 In 1 study, restarting GH treatment (at a mean dose of 0.01 mg/kg per day), after discontinuation of therapy at completion of linear growth, was associated with an improvement in lipid and cardiac parameters in young adults with severe GHD19 (Fig 2); however, insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) levels were still not completely normalized, remaining lower than in those in healthy control subjects, and the total cholesterol/HDL-C ratio, as a relevant predictive parameter for the cardiovascular risk, was still higher than that in control sub- jects. No modification of hemodynamic parameters was observed after restarting GH treatment, although, similar to adult GHD patients, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic filling tended to increase.19 In another study,25 improved endothelial function and reduced arterial stiffness occurred after GH replacement. In that study, hyperemia-induced blood flow increase was greater (P ⬍ .001) in the GH-treated than in age-matched untreated control subjects with GHD or in healthy control subjects. Together, these findings support the idea that GH discontinuation in adolescents with GHD may be problematic because of the potential for adverse changes in the lipid profile, in cardiac morphology, and in performance. Conflicting results are available from studies in children with GHD with respect to plasma lipoprotein levels. In the majority of studies, no abnormalities in the lipid profile were evident at base- Downloaded from pediatrics.aappublications.org by guest on August 22, 2014 REVIEW ARTICLES line10,13,23,27; however, Ciresi et al28 observed significantly increased total cholesterol and LDL-C levels in untreated children with GHD relative to healthy control subjects, although levels were still within the normal range. A beneficial effect of GH treatment on the atherogenic index has been reported in several studies that evaluated the efficacy of short-term and long-term GH treatment on the lipid profile in children with GHD.10,29,30 After 6 years of GH treatment, Van der Sluis et al13 documented a beneficial effect on the atherogenic index as well as on HDL-C in children with GHD. Bone Metabolism and BMD It is well-established that GH promotes longitudinal bone growth. In addition, a universal finding in children with GHD is the increase in levels of bone metabolism parameters, reflecting increased bone turnover after the start of GH therapy.31,32 Markers of bone metabolism, including serum alkaline phosphatase, procollagen 1 carboxylterminal propeptide, and deoxypyridinoline, were found to increase significantly during the first 3 months of GH treatment in 45 prepubertal children with GHD.32 This increase in bone modeling and remodeling, together with the catch-up growth, results in an increase in total bone area and lowering of bone mineral content (BMC) during the first 12 months, followed by an increase in BMC and cortical thickness thereafter.10,11,32–35 The changes in bone geometry are associated with improvements in muscle mass,11 changes that are complementary to the GH-induced increase in height. Radial and lumbar spine BMD in children who had GHD and had received GH treatment for 4 to 7 years was within 0.5 SD of that of age-matched healthy peers34; however, in suboptimally treated patients with GHD, lumbar BMD at adult height was reduced.36,37 Continuation of GH in patients with GHD afPEDIATRICS Volume 125, Number 4, April 2010 ter reaching adult height was reported to be associated with a 6% greater increase in BMC and a 5% greater increase in lumbar spine BMD compared with patients who discontinued GH.38 To put this in perspective, an increase in BMC of 6% could be expected in healthy adolescents during a similar time frame.39 Recommencement of GH treatment resulted in an improvement in total body and lumbar spine BMD in adolescents with GHD in 3 additional studies.14,40,41 Conversely, in a 2-year study, Mauras et al9 found no effect of GH treatment on total or lumbar spine BMD. These discrepant results may be attributable to differences in GH treatment regimens or treatment durations or to differences in the populations being studied. Because the magnitude of the increase in BMD after 2 years of GH treatment was similar to the increase observed with 1 year of continuous GH treatment, discontinuation of GH in adolescents with sustained GHD may limit progression toward peak bone mass accrual. These results suggest a key role for GH in the acquisition of bone mass during childhood and adolescence and suggest that GH should be administered in adequate doses and for an adequate length of time to help achieve a BMD within the normal range.42 Carbohydrate Metabolism GH is regarded as an insulin antagonist with respect to carbohydrate metabolism. It has a physiologic role in the maintenance of normoglycemia, especially during fasting, via stimulation of hepatic gluconeogenesis and suppression of insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in peripheral tissues. Supraphysiologic GH concentrations may increase glucose production by stimulating insulin secretion and, thus, may potentially induce insulin resistance or diabetes; however, no impairment of glucose tolerance has been observed during GH treatment of chil- dren who have short stature with and without GHD or in several studies of adults with GHD, although some results vary.43–50 Some studies have suggested a decreased -cell capacity in untreated children with GHD, with a beneficial effect of GH treatment.51 Nevertheless, positive changes in body composition may counter negative effects on insulin sensitivity.43 In agreement with this, GH treatment of obese adults improves insulin sensitivity,52 and Leunissen et al53 showed that higher body FM at age 21 years was associated with reduced insulin sensitivity irrespective of birth size. Cardiac Effects Evidence accumulated to date suggests that long-term administration of GH does not seem to have adverse cardiac effects in children. In 42 GHtreated children with GHD (mean GH duration: 35 months), there was no significant difference in systolic function and left ventricular (LV) volume and mass, compared with age-, gender-, and body size–matched normal patients.54 Likewise, no alterations in cardiac mass or function were reported in GH-treated adolescents with GHD (mean age: 14.2 years) compared with untreated adolescents with GHD.18 Furthermore, treatment with GH (30 IU/m2 per week [0.05 mg/kg per day]) for up to 4 years was not associated with adverse effects on LV wall thickness or mass in short normal children.55 Small for Gestational Age Body Composition Untreated short children who were born small for gestational age (SGA) are lean (BMI SDS: ⫺1.3) and tend to have a low to normal FM with low fatfree mass.56–60 Treatment with GH leads to gains in height and weight, with the latter composed predominantly of increased fat-free mass.58,61 In a randomized, double-blind, dose- Downloaded from pediatrics.aappublications.org by guest on August 22, 2014 e909 response trial of 79 short children who were SGA, GH treatment (0.033 or 0.067 mg/kg per day) for up to 6 years normalized BMI without overall changes in subcutaneous fat, compared with ageand gender-matched references.61 The increase in LBM is likely attributable to a significant increase in muscle tissue, because body composition remained within the normal range.62 This seems to be sustained even after discontinuation of GH.63 Two years of GH treatment (55 g/kg per day) in 35 prepubertal short children who were born SGA was associated with an increase in muscle mass from ⫺3.0 to ⫺1.5 SDS.11 higher risk for CVDs in later life in children who were born SGA, additional research into adulthood remains warranted in this population. Turner Syndrome Body Composition BMD is moderately reduced in untreated short children who were born SGA.67 GH treatment, however, was associated with a significant increase in lumbar spine BMD after 3 years that was strongly correlated with the increase in height SDS.60,67 Hence, children with the best growth response also had the greatest increase in BMD. In girls with Turner Syndrome (TS), GH treatment also increased lean mass and decreased adiposity in 2 small longitudinal studies.71–74 In a crosssectional study, GH-treated girls (N ⫽ 76; age: 13.6 ⫾ 3.7 years) had ⬃50% less total body and subcutaneous fat compared with untreated girls (N ⫽ 26; age: 13.8 ⫾ 3.5 years). Of note, the GH-treated girls demonstrated lower adiposity than the untreated girls for up to 2 years after discontinuation of GH.74 Body Proportions Carbohydrate Metabolism Body Proportions Short children who were born SGA have relatively large hands and feet and relatively broad shoulders and pelvis compared with their height but a normal sitting height in proportion to their height.61 The increase in height during 6 years of GH treatment (0.033 or 0.067 mg/kg per day) was associated with a dose-independent improvement in body proportions. Head circumference, which is relatively large in these children, especially those who were born short and light, is also normalized during GH treatment.64 In short children who were born SGA, conflicting results on the change in insulin sensitivity with GH treatment have been reported.62,65,68–70 A reversible GH-associated decrease in insulin sensitivity with GH treatment has been reported in several larger studies after stopping treatment.62,65,68 In a longitudinal study,24 adolescents who were born SGA were treated with GH to adult height, then reevaluated 6 months after stopping GH.62 After cessation of GH treatment, insulin sensitivity increased (P ⫽ .006), glucose effectiveness (P ⫽ .009) and -cell function (P ⫽ .024) increased, and insulin secretion decreased (Fig 3).62 Values after stopping treatment were similar to those in control subjects who were appropriate for gestational age. Van Dijk et al65 investigated insulin sensitivity in previously GH-treated young adults who were born SGA 6.5 years after discontinuation of GH and reported that their insulin sensitivity and -cell function were similar to untreated control subjects who were born SGA. These data are reassuring because they suggest that longterm GH treatment does not increase the risk for diabetes in this population, although additional long-term follow-up is needed to confirm this finding. In girls with TS, a moderate improvement of the disproportion between height and sitting height was reported75 after 7 years of GH treatment. In 47 girls who had TS (median age at treatment start: 9.4 years) and were followed for 4 years on GH (median dose: 0.24 mg/kg per week), the effects on height, arm span, sitting height, and leg length were of similar magnitude.76 Over time, however, a higher gain in sitting height than in leg length that was most evident after puberty started was observed, although body proportions did not change significantly relative to the normal population. Cardiovascular Effects GH therapy had a positive effect on the lipid profile in short children were born SGA.61 In 79 short children who were born SGA, pretreatment values for cholesterol, LDL-C, and HDL-C and the atherogenic index were within the normal range.61 During long-term continuous GH treatment, a significant reduction in the atherogenic index as well as in the blood pressure SDS was observed, indicating that GH has a positive effect on these parameters. Data from reported studies suggested that these effects seem to be maintained even after stopping GH treatment, although longer term follow-up studies are needed.65,66 In view of the reported e910 ROSS et al Bone Metabolism and Bone Density Bone Density Women with TS have cortical bone deficiency.77,78 Increased cortical bone density was reported after 7 years of GH treatment,43 especially in the higher dose (0.09 mg/kg per day) group. In contrast, in a comparison with 28 girls who had TS and had never received GH and 39 age-matched GH-treated TS girls, no significant differences in BMD were observed at the lumbar spine (L1–L4) or one-third radius or cortical bone thickness measured at the second metacarpal.73 These results suggest that GH treatment may not affect cortical or trabecular BMD in TS. Downloaded from pediatrics.aappublications.org by guest on August 22, 2014 REVIEW ARTICLES years) and were followed for ⬃5 years after stopping GH treatment, there was no evidence of myocardial hypertrophy, and biventricular function was well-preserved.85 Compared with healthy control subjects, patients showed lower ventricular volume and increased heart rate. Because these latter observations are likely part of the natural development of TS and unrelated to GH treatment, GH therapy does not seem to have negative effects on cardiac function in girls with TS. Other Indications Body Composition Beneficial effects of GH on body composition have also been documented in children with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), for whom GH treatment was associated with an increase in lean mass into the normal range and a relative delay in FM accumulation.88,89 In glucocorticoid-treated patients who had juvenile idiopathic arthritis and were treated with GH (0.46 mg/kg per week) for 3 years, lean mass increased by 33% from baseline values.90,91 FIGURE 3 Changes in frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test parameters of adolescents who were born SGA and treated with GH and then followed up 6 months after stoppage of treatment. P values between GH treatment and after stoppage of treatment. Reprinted from ref 62, with permission. Copyright 2008, The Endocrine Society. Carbohydrate Metabolism A lack of diabetogenic effect of GH therapy, consistent with observations in children with GHD, has been reported in girls with TS.45,61,66,79–82 In a crosssectional study of girls with TS, ⬃30% of untreated girls with TS (n ⫽ 26) demonstrated impaired glucose tolerance, whereas none of the GH-treated (n ⫽ 76) girls with TS did (P ⫽ .001).74 Cardiac Effects Patients with TS have a significant increase in congenital heart disease and PEDIATRICS Volume 125, Number 4, April 2010 risk for aortic dilatation and dissection; it is reassuring, however, that GH therapy does not seem to have any adverse effects on the heart in this population.83–85 No effect of GH treatment on LV hypertrophy or hypertension has been documented in girls with TS.86 A retrospective, cross-sectional study involving 53 GH-treated and 48 untreated girls with TS found no significant difference in ascending or descending aortic diameter associated with GH treatment.87 Moreover, in 31 patients who had TS (mean age: 20 GH has been used to improve nutrition and protein catabolism in many chronic illnesses, including patients with burns, chronic renal failure, or malnutrition after hemodialysis.92–94 In children with cystic fibrosis, GH seems to improve body weight and lean tissue mass on the basis of reduced wholebody catabolism and increased efficiency of whole-body protein kinetics.95 Body Proportions In children with severe growth retardation secondary to chronic renal failure, GH therapy for 4 years did not negatively influence body proportions96 and may even improve body proportions.97 BMD and Metabolism In children with PWS, whole-body BMD is similar to that of age-matched control subjects until the teenage years, Downloaded from pediatrics.aappublications.org by guest on August 22, 2014 e911 when evidence of osteopenia has been reported.70 For young adults (mean age: 24 years), Vestergaard et al98 reported low BMD as a result of high bone turnover. Treatment with GH for up to 4 years in 46 children with PWS (mean age: 12 years) was associated with significant improvements in BMD (P ⬍ .01).99 Severe reduced BMC and osteoporosis is common in glucocorticoid-treated patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Administration of GH to these patients is associated with an increase in lumbar bone density, suggesting that GH therapy may prevent additional bone loss in this patient group.90,91 In children with idiopathic short stature (ISS), GH treatment increased vertebral BMD100 as well as phalangeal cortical thickness.101 Carbohydrate Metabolism In children with ISS, no significant GH effect on measures of carbohydrate metabolism have been reported.50,102,103 In 68 patients who had ISS and were treated with GH (0.74 mg/kg 3 times weekly) until adult height was achieved, levels of fasting insulin, fasting glucose, and hemoglobin did not differ significantly between GH-treated and placebo-treated groups.102 Psychological Development and Intelligence Short stature has been associated with negative stereotypes and psychological disadvantages in some studies but not in others.104 In a survey of 166 short children who were referred for GH treatment, Stabler and colleagues76 reported an increased frequency of underachievement, behavior problems, and reduced social competency in short children, suggesting that short stature itself may predispose them to some of their difficulties.105 The published reports about perception by the child or the parents of psye912 ROSS et al chosocial function may be related to whether the short stature samples were clinic-referred or derived from the general population as well as the age and gender of the population. Comparisons between referred and community-based short children revealed that just the referred group experienced increased behavioral problems.106 Social competencies, behavioral and emotional functioning, and QoL of community-based children with short stature generally falls within the normative range.107 Other clinic-based studies failed to demonstrate that children with short stature had a clinically meaningful excess of problems compared with children in the general population.108 In GH-treated short children who were born SGA, van Pareren et al109 reported that GH treatment was associated with significant improvements in [performance and total] IQ (P ⬍ .001) as well as reduced externalizing behavior (P ⬍ .01) and total problem scores (P ⬍ .05) and increased self-perception scores (P ⬍ .001). Parents of prepubertal children who were born SGA and treated with GH for 2 years (N ⫽ 20) reported less teasing, compared with the untreated group (10% [GHtreated] vs 45% [untreated]; P ⬍ .05). Reduced teasing was also reported in 104 GH-treated short children who were born SGA after 2 years.110 Furthermore, adolescents who were born SGA and treated with GH during childhood were reported to have a better QoL in many aspects in addition to improved height compared with untreated adolescents who were born SGA.111 A trend toward reduced externalizing problem behaviors, as assessed by the Child Behavior Checklist (parent questionnaire), was also reported for 68 children with ISS (aged 9 –16 years) after GH therapy of up to 4 years.112 Furthermore, during 12 months of GH treatment, a significant improvement in mental and motor de- velopment was reported in 15 GHtreated infants and toddlers with PWS compared with a non–GH-treated control group.89 In summary, short stature and chronic illness can undermine a child’s selfimage. The results of these studies are encouraging and suggest that the increased growth associated with GH treatment may increase self-esteem and acceptance by peers and warrant additional collaborative investigations into the potential psychological benefits of long-term GH treatment. Safety adverse effects related to carbohydrate metabolism and to cardiovascular changes were discussed already by indication. In this section, other safety issues related to GH administration are addressed. Other Adverse Effects GH-associated adverse effects such as edema and carpal tunnel syndrome are attributed to fluid retention.113 Such effects are usually resolved within the first few weeks of GH treatment or with dose reduction. Some adverse effects, including transient intracranial hypertension, gynecomastia, and slipped capital femoral epiphysis, are more likely in children than in adult patients.114 Events such as intracranial hypertension seem to be more common in children with diagnosed endocrine disorders or those with growth spurts but occur only in a small number of patients, generally within the first 2 months of treatment, and seem to resolve after treatment stoppage or reduction of GH dose.115,116 Cancer Risk During recent years, concerns have been raised about a potential role for GH, via its mediator IGF-I, in the development of cancer.117 These concerns were based on the observations that plasma IGF-I levels correlated with an Downloaded from pediatrics.aappublications.org by guest on August 22, 2014 REVIEW ARTICLES increased risk for breast or prostate cancer, and an increased risk for colon and rectum cancer has been reported in patients with acromegaly.118 There are conflicting data about whether acromegaly, the most extreme state of substantial GH excess, is associated with any increased risk for cancer. A number of studies indicated an increased risk for colon polyps; whether this results in higher cancer risk has been debated,119–123 and the incidence of other malignancies is not clearly increased in patients with acromegaly. It is noteworthy, however, that Friedrich et al124 reported inverse associations between IGF-I or insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) levels and mortality from allcause, CVD, or cancer in men and between IGFBP-3 and all-cause mortality in women, suggesting that additional research is needed to establish a potential role for IGF-I in cancer risk. Extensive studies of the outcome in childhood cancer survivors who were treated with GH and indeed of recent outcome trials of children who were treated with recombinant GH in modern dosage regimens has not revealed an increased cancer risk.125 In a large study by Swerdlow et al,126 which followed 180 children who had brain tumors and received GH and 434 children who had brain tumors and received radiotherapy but not GH, there was a reduced relative risk for recurrence in GH-treated versus untreated patients (0.6 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.4 – 0.9]) as well as a reduced risk for mortality (0.5 [95% CI: 0.3– 0.8]). Likewise, Sklar et al127 observed a reduced risk for disease recurrence, second malignant neoplasms, and death in 361 surviving patients who had cancer and were treated with GH from among 13 359 cancer survivors. The relative risk for disease recurrence was 0.83 (95% CI: 0.37–1.86; P ⫽ .65). A small increase in the number of secondary PEDIATRICS Volume 125, Number 4, April 2010 malignant neoplasms, however, was observed in survivors of acute leukemia who were treated with GH compared with those who did not receive GH (3 of 122 patients versus 2 of 45 000), although the overall small number of events needs to be interpreted with caution. Current pediatric data do not suggest an excess risk for malignancy after GH treatment, especially when IGF-I levels are maintained within the normal range.125 Taback et al128 analyzed the risk for death between 1967 and 1992 in 1366 children who were treated with pituitary or biosynthetic GH. They found an overall crude mortality rate of 2.7%. Although the most common cause of mortality was tumor recurrence (11 of 37 deaths), a high proportion were caused by endocrine complications, including adrenal crisis and hypoglycemia (9 of 37). Recommendations on the basis of these findings are that aggressive management of these other endocrine conditions, especially among very young children who are treated with GH, is warranted. CONCLUSIONS In children, as in adults, GH has potent metabolic effects. It usually improves body composition in children and adolescents with GHD as well as without GHD, with an increase in LBM. A less consistent effect is observed for reduction in FM that may be attributed to the effect of gender.2,6 GH treatment also has beneficial effects on bone metabolism and BMD in children with GHD and in other indications and hence may be important in alleviating the risk for osteoporosis and risk for fracture that are associated with some of these conditions in adult life. A beneficial effect of GH treatment on plasma lipoprotein profiles has been documented in children with GHD and in short children who were born SGA. The reduction in the atherogenic index may lead to an overall reduction in atherosclerotic risk, which may be of relevance in view of the predisposition toward increased risk for coronary events in adults with GHD as well as in untreated adults who were born SGA. It is widely known that GH treatment is associated with reduced insulin sensitivity. Concerns have been raised regarding the long-term effects of GH treatment on insulin-glucose homeostasis in some patient groups, especially in short children who were born SGA, whose insulin sensitivity may already be reduced; however, data from long-term studies suggested that there is a lack of diabetogenic effect of GH treatment in SGA and other pediatric patient populations and that accumulated data suggest that negative changes in insulin sensitivity during treatment are generally reversible on discontinuing GH. Moreover, GH therapy does not seem to have adverse cardiac effects in children. It should be noted that the improvements in metabolic and cardiovascular measures that are seen in pediatric studies have not so far been followed up in these subjects at older ages, and more research into the long-term consequences of these effects is warranted. Adverse effects related to fluid retention are generally transient or may be resolved with GH dose adjustment. No evidence of an excess of de novo cancers and no increase in observed cancer risk have been shown. Careful management of episodes of adrenal insufficiency or hypoglycemia is warranted. In summary, although the main role of GH replacement therapy in a pediatric population is generally considered to be an improvement of height, it is evident that this linear growth is accompanied by a number of beneficial metabolic effects in these patients. 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J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1996; 81(5):1693–1696 (Continued from first page) Serono; Dr Czernichow is a consultant for Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, and Ipsen; Dr Ross is a consultant for Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly and has received research grants from Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, and Pfizer. e918 ROSS et al Downloaded from pediatrics.aappublications.org by guest on August 22, 2014 Growth Hormone: Health Considerations Beyond Height Gain Judith Ross, Paul Czernichow, Beverly M. K. Biller, Annamaria Colao, Ed Reiter, Wieland Kiess and on behalf of the participants in the advisory panel meeting on the effects of growth hormone Pediatrics 2010;125;e906; originally published online March 22, 2010; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2009-1783 Updated Information & Services including high resolution figures, can be found at: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/125/4/e906.full.h tml References This article cites 128 articles, 9 of which can be accessed free at: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/125/4/e906.full.h tml#ref-list-1 Citations This article has been cited by 1 HighWire-hosted articles: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/125/4/e906.full.h tml#related-urls Post-Publication Peer Reviews (P3Rs) One P3R has been posted to this article: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/eletters/125/4/e906 Subspecialty Collections This article, along with others on similar topics, appears in the following collection(s): Endocrinology http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/collection/endocrinol ogy_sub Metabolic Disorders http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/collection/metabolic_ disorders_sub Permissions & Licensing Information about reproducing this article in parts (figures, tables) or in its entirety can be found online at: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/site/misc/Permissions.xht ml Reprints Information about ordering reprints can be found online: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/site/misc/reprints.xhtml PEDIATRICS is the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. 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