Biphasic response of subscapular skinfold thickness to hGH or IGF-1 administration to patients with congenital IGHD, congenital MPHD and Laron syndrome

SummaryObjectiveTo evaluate changes in adiposity in congenital GH/IGF-1 deficient children during hGH or IGF-1 treatment.Subjects and methods27 children with congenital isolated growth hormone deficiency (cIGHD) treated with hGH for 2.5–15.2 years (mean 10.0 ± 3.4), 18 children with congenital multiple pituitary hormone deficiency (cMPHD), treated with hGH for 2.3–17.9 years (mean 6.1 ± 4.3), and 14 children with Laron syndrome (LS) treated with IGF-1 for 1.2–12 years (mean 5.5 ± 3.7) were studied. Changes in the degree of adiposity were evaluated by subscapular skinfold thickness (SSFT), before, during and up to 2 years after treatment. All the children had various degrees of obesity.ResultsDuring the pretreatment period, cIGHD patients showed little changes in SSFT (P = 0.45), cMPHD and LS patients showed an increase in SSFT (P = 0.01, P = 0.06 respectively). During the initial 0.6–1.1 years of hGH/IGF-1 treatment, the SSFT decreased in all 3 groups (P < 0.001), while during subsequent years a significant increase in SSFT (P < 0.001) was observed, in all types of patients, notably in females. Only the cIGHD patients demonstrated a significant correlation between the degree of SSFT decrease and height SDS gain (R = −0.56, P = 0.002) in the first period of treatment.ConclusionsShort term replacement therapy of 0.6–1.1 years with either hGH or IGF-1, induced a reduction in subscapular subcutaneous fat whereas prolongation of therapy led to an increase in the subcutaneous fat.