ESPE Yearbook of Paediatric Endocrinology

Brief summary: This cross-sectional study provided evidence regarding the usefulness of serum IGF-1/IGFBP-3 ratio as a marker for the diagnosis of GHD in children.Diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is still challenging, due to the insufficient specificity of GH stimulation tests. Serum IGF-1, IGFBP-3, and their combination have been proposed as an alternative to GH stimulation tests. However, despite relatively high specificity, their validity ...

Brief summary: This study reports data from the full Kabi/Pfizer International Growth Database (KIGS), a large international database including 83803 children treated with rhGH for GHD and non-GHD conditions. The data confirm that rhGH is effective in increasing short-term height gain and adult height in various conditions and validate rhGH safety, with no new serious adverse events reported.KIGS (Kabi/Pfizer International Growth Database), first establi...

Brief summary: In this study the authors reported the adult height and timing of puberty of a cohort of Danish children born small for gestational age (SGA) and treated with rhGH in comparison with national growth standards. rhGH treatment significantly increased height SDS in adulthood as compared to the height SDS at treatment start. Age at peak height velocity did not differ compared with the reference cohort, although peak height velocity was reduced in SGA subjects. SGA b...

Brief summary: In this longitudinal study, the authors investigated the metabolic and cardiovascular health profile of 167 adults born SGA and previously treated with rhGH during a period of 12 years after therapy discontinuation. No relevant differences were found in treated SGA subjects compared with untreated SGA adults or adults born appropriate for gestational age (AGA), thus suggesting long-term metabolic and cardiovascular safety of rhGH treatment in short SGA children....

Brief summary: The objective of this study was to examine whether IGF-I and IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) levels track through childhood into adulthood and to estimate the cumulative lifetime exposure to IGF-I in healthy individuals and in individuals with a defined period of increased IGF-I levels because of GH therapy.Measurement of serum IGF-I is a cornerstone in rhGH treatment monitoring. Keeping serum IGF-I concentrations within the normal referen...

Brief summary: This retrospective longitudinal study included 5698 patients with multiple height measurements since birth to the near-adult age. The aim was to define different growth patterns of children from birth to 18 years corrected for gestational age, sex and auxological status at birth in order to early identify children at risk for adult short stature. Adult height was significantly reduced in preterm and/or in small-for-gestational-age (SGA) children, with no sex dif...