title: Growth hormone does not prevent catabolic side effects of dexamethasone in extremely low birth weight preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia--a pilot study.
abstract: Recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) may reduce the catabolic side effects of steroid therapies on children and adults, but this has never been studied in preterm infants. We performed a pilot study on 5 extremely low birth weight preterm infants (gestational age 27 +/- 3 wks, birth weight 824 +/- 160 g) still on mechanical ventilation for bronchopulmonary dysplasia at the postnatal age of 35 +/- 9 days. All were treated for 7 days with dexamethasone (0.5 mg/kg/d i.v.) and subcutaneous rhGH at different doses: 0.1 (n = 1), 0.2 (n = 2) or 0.3 (n = 2) IU/kg/day. Nutrition was kept stable. After 7 days all subjects improved their respiratory condition but body weight remained the same and urinary urea nitrogen and C-peptide were significantly higher (p < 0.001). rhGH intake strongly related to urinary excretion of urea nitrogen (r = 0.78) and C-peptide (r = 0.88). Dexamethasone improves the pulmonary function of very preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia but induces growth arrest and catabolism which are not prevented, and may be worsened, by rhGH.
authors.affiliation: Divisione di Neonatologia e Terapia Intensiva Neonatale Istituto per l'Infanzia Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tonini
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pahor
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Colonna
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: de Vonderweid
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D001724:Birth Weight; D001806:Blood Urea Nitrogen; D001997:Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002096:C-Peptide / Q000652:urine; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005865:Gestational Age; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000652:urine; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D014508:Urea / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D002096:C-Peptide; D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D003907:Dexamethasone; D014508:Urea; D002784:Cholesterol; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D009584:Nitrogen; D001663:Bilirubin