title: Growth hormone treatment downregulates serum leptin levels in children independent of changes in body mass index.
abstract: The changes in serum leptin levels during growth hormone (GH) treatment were studied in 27 children, 17 with GH deficiency (GHD), 10 with idiopathic short stature (ISS), and 9 with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). Within 1 month of GH treatment, serum leptin levels decreased by 40% in the GHD children (p < 0.01). There was no significant change in serum leptin level in the children with ISS. In children with PWS, the mean serum leptin level decreased by almost 60% after 3 months of treatment (p < 0.001). Thereafter, no further decline was observed in any of the 3 groups. Changes in body composition became evident first after the 3 months of treatment. In the GHD children, the BMI was unchanged while the mean body fat percentage was 2.7% lower after 1 year of GH treatment (p < 0.05). In the ISS children, neither BMI nor body fat percentage were significantly changed during treatment. The PWS children exhibited a significant decrease in BMI after 6 months of GH treatment without any further change during the remaining period of treatment. In this group, the mean body fat percentage decreased from 42 +/- 2.4 to 28 +/- 2.2% after treatment (p < 0.001). The finding that the fall in leptin occurs before changes in body composition become detectable suggests a direct effect of GH on leptin production, metabolism, or clearance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Endocrine Research Unit, Huddinge Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elimam
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Lindgren
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Norgren
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kamel
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Skwirut
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bang
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marcus
mesh_terms: D001823:Body Composition / Q000187:drug effects; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000172:deficiency / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D011218:Prader-Willi Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin; D013006:Growth Hormone