Document 0856
 DOCN  M9650856
 TI    Immunologic studies in children with idiopathic short stature before and
       during growth hormone therapy. Dutch Growth Hormone Working Group.
 DT    9605
 AU    Rekers-Mombarg LT; Rijkers GT; Massa GG; Wit JM; Department of
       Paediatrics, University Hospital Leiden, The; Netherlands.
 SO    Horm Res. 1995;44(5):203-7. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/96159558
 AB    In 34 children with idiopathic short stature (ISS) we studied parameters
       of humoral and cellular immunity before and during growth hormone (GH)
       therapy. The patients were treated with recombinant human GH 3.0 or 4.5
       IU/m2 body surface/day, 6 times/week. Leucocyte and lymphocyte counts,
       percentages of neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils and monocytes were
       available up to 4 years of therapy (n = 34) and lymphocyte subsets and
       serum immunoglobulins during the first year of treatment (n = 16).
       Differences between the measurements at the start and during therapy
       were tested by a mixed model ANOVA to repeated measurements. Before the
       start of GH therapy all parameters of immunity were within the normal
       range in these children. During the first months of treatment the
       leucocyte and lymphocyte counts decreased and at 6 months were
       significantly lower than at the start (p = 0.003 and p = 0.006,
       respectively). Thereafter leucocyte numbers no longer differed from
       baseline. Lymphocytes were again lower at 36 months (p = 0.001). The
       percentages of neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, monocytes and
       lymphocyte subsets did not change during therapy. Serum IgA
       concentrations showed a transient decrease at 3 and 6 months of GH
       therapy (p = 0.01 and p = 0.02). The observed changes were not related
       to GH dosage or height velocity. We conclude that GH treatment in
       children with ISS induced a small decrease in leucocyte and lymphocyte
       counts and serum IgA concentrations.
 DE    Adolescence  Analysis of Variance  Body Height/DRUG EFFECTS  Child  CD4
       Lymphocyte Count  CD4-CD8 Ratio  Female  Growth Disorders/*DRUG
       THERAPY/*IMMUNOLOGY  Human  Immunoglobulins/BLOOD  Leukocyte Count
       Lymphocyte Count  Male  Recombinant Proteins/THERAPEUTIC USE
       Somatotropin/*THERAPEUTIC USE  Support, Non-U.S. Gov't  T-Lymphocyte
       Subsets  JOURNAL ARTICLE

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