ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: Children with idiopathic short stature have linear growth impairment despite normal or even high levels of GH. In some of these children IGFI level is low (NGH + Low IGFI (IGFSDS<-1.5). It was observed that some children with GHD (Peak GH < 7 ng/dl after provocation) have normal IGFI levels (GHD +Normal IGFI). The linear growth of these two groups at presentation and their response to GH therapy was not studied well.

Aim: We studied linear growth at presentation and response to a year of GH therapy in children with low IGFI and normal GH secretion (group 1, n = 10) compared to GHD with normal IGF-I (group 2, n = 17).

Results: At presentation, the age, HtSDS, and BMI did not differ significantly among the 2 groups. The difference between the HtSDS of patients from their mid-parental HtSDS (MPHtSDS) was bigger in the IGFI deficient group vs the GHD group (p = 0.04). After an average of 1 year of GH therapy (0.03 -0.05 mg/kg/day), the HtSDS increased significantly in both groups (P < 0.01). No significant difference in weight gain per day between the two groups. BMI in group 1 improved after GH therapy, whereas it did not differ in group 2 (P = 0.002 vs 0.1 respectively). There was a significant increase in the IGFSDS in both groups (P < 0.05), and the increments of IGFSDS did not differ among them. The difference in HSD from their MPHSD after treatment improved significantly in group 2(P = 0.04) but did not differ in group1 (P = 0.4).

Conclusion: Our data suggest a comparable good growth response to GH therapy and increment in IGF-1 in GH deficient with normal IGF-1 and in IGF-1 deficient patients with normal GH secretion.