Evaluation of cutaneous modifications in seventy-seven growth hormone-deficient children.
Cutaneous parameters such as dermal thickness, stiffness, elasticity, skin surface lipid and hydration were evaluated using noninvasive methods in 77 growth hormone-deficient (GHD) children before replacement therapy and in 70 non-GHD children. We showed that in GHD children, dermis was thinner (0.70 +/- 0.10 vs. 0.80 +/- 0.10 mm, p < 0.0001 for prepubertal children and 0.81 +/- 0.10 vs. 0.94 +/- 0.11 mm, p < 0.0001 for pubertal children), stiffer (178.5 +/- 57.3 vs. 113.09 +/- 37 kPa, p < 0.0001 for prepubertal children and 172.5 +/- 61.7 vs. 117.3 +/- 42.5 kPa for pubertal children, p < 0.001) and less elastic (0.44 +/- 0.09 vs. 0.39 +/- 0.06 (nonelasticity index), p < 0.01 for prepubertal children and 0.39 +/- 0.05 vs. 0.33 +/- 0.04, p < 0.001 for pubertal children) compared to controls. Fourteen GHD children were re-evaluated after 1 year of GH treatment: dermal thickness and skin stiffness were significantly improved (p < 0.001 and p < 0.05 respectively) while elasticity was not modified. During the same period, 11 controls did not show any significant cutaneous modification. IGF-1 values, but not IGFBP-3 values, correlated positively with dermal thickness in GHD children, before and after 1 year of GH treatment. To conclude, GHD children exhibited specific cutaneous modifications. In a subset of GHD children, we showed that these modifications were influenced by GH treatment. More extensive studies are needed to see if these changes correlated with other GH effects.
Centre de Recherche sur la Croissance, Pavillon Leriche, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Purpan, Toulouse, France.
F
F
Conte
S
S
Diridollou
B
B
Jouret
V
V
Turlier
M
M
Charveron
Y
Y
Gall
P
P
Rochiccioli
E
E
Bieth
M
M
Tauber
D000293:Adolescent; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001834:Body Water / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*
D019382:Human Growth Hormone