EFFECT OF GROWTH-HORMONE TREATMENT ON INSULIN-SECRETION AND GLUCOSE-METABOLISM IN PREPUBERTAL BOYS WITH SHORT STATURE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect on insulin secret ion and glucose metabolism of daily growth hormone (GH) treatment, 0.1 U/kg, for up to 3 years in 42 short prepubertal boys without GH defic iency. Their median height standard deviation (SD) score increased fro m -2.7 to -1.7, whereas their weight for height so score was unchanged after 3 years of treatment. Fasting plasma glucose concentrations wer e unchanged, but median fasting insulin concentrations increased from 6.0 mU/l before treatment to 7.8 mU/l (p < 0.05) after the first year. No further increase was seen during the second or third years. The me dian insulin area under the curve 10-60 min after an intravenous gluco se tolerance test increased from 480 mU.l(-1).min(-1) before treatment to 799 mU.l(-1).min(-1) (p < 0.05) after 1 year. The median glucose d isposal rate (K value) before GH treatment, 2.2%/min, was unchanged af ter 1 year of treatment. A significant positive correlation was found between the change in the height so score and the change in fasting in sulin concentration during the first (r = 0.45: p < 0.01) and second ( r = 0.56; p < 0.05) years of GH treatment. It was concluded that GH tr eatment in prepubertal children without GH deficiency caused a moderat e increase in fasting and stimulated insulin concentrations during the first year of treatment. There was no further change during the follo wing years of treatment, and there were no negative effects on fasting plasma glucose concentrations or glucose disposal rates. The increase in insulin concentration was related positively to the growth respons e.