IRON STATUS OF CHILDREN WITH SHORT STATURE DURING ACCELERATED-GROWTH DUE TO GROWTH-HORMONE TREATMENT

We determined the influence of human growth hormone (hGH) treatment on blood soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) in 35 children with short s tature, Whereas the serum concentration of ferritin decreased from 29. 6 mu g/l to 19.7 mu g/l, and that of transferrin increased from 2.9 g/ l to 3.2 g/l during 6 months (p < 0.001), only a minimum rise in the s TfR concentration was observed (7.12 +/- 0.20 mg/l vs 7.51 +/- 0.19 mg /l, p = 0.025), The prevalence of anaemia or microcytosis did not incr ease. Most of the changes in serum ferritin and transferrin concentrat ions occurred during the first week. The study demonstrates that rapid body growth per se does not affect the sTfR concentration, but it may affect the serum transferrin and ferritin concentrations. Alternative ly, GH may have a specific effect on serum ferritin and transferrin co ncentrations.