The effect of 3 years of recombinant growth hormone therapy on glucose metabolism in short Chinese children with β-thalassemia major

Abstract

Growth retardation and diabetes mellitus are common in children and adolescents with β-thalassemia major despite hypertransfusion regimen and iron chelation therapy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of growth hormone (GH) treatment on glucose metabolism in children with β-thalassemia major. GH therapy for 3 years improved the height SD scores of eight short prepubertal Chinese children with β-thalassemia major from -2.15 ± 0.90 to -1.14 ± 0.78 (paired t-test, p = 0.01) without excessive advancement in bone age (ΔBA/CA = 0.95 ± 0.27). There was no deleterious effect on glucose metabolism with no change in fasting blood sugar, serum fructosamine, fasting and stimulated insulin to intravenous glucose infusion (sum of 1+3 min insulin, In 1+3'; incremental insulin 0-10 min area above fasting concentrations, ΔIn(Auc)0-10'; ratio of incremental 0-10 min insulin area above fasting concentrations over glucose area above fasting concentrations, Δ0-10'(auc)In/G; ratio of incremental 0-10 min insulin over peak glucose above basal 0-10 min, Δ0-10'In(AUC)/ΔG(Peak)), and glucose disappearance coefficient (K(g)). Short term GH therapy improves the height of children with β-thalassemia major but the effect of treatment on final height still needs to be determined.