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.
Conte
F
F
Centre de Recherche sur la Croissance, Pavillon Leriche, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Purpan, Toulouse, France.
Diridollou
S
S
Jouret
B
B
Turlier
V
V
Charveron
M
M
Gall
Y
Y
Rochiccioli
P
P
Bieth
E
E
Tauber
M
M
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