Serum cytokine levels in GH-deficient children during substitutive GH therapy.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of exogenously administered human GH (hGH) on serum levels of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, IL-12 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha in GH-deficient (GHD) children.


METHODS
We evaluated 13 short prepubertal GHD children, aged between 2 and 13 years, and 13 age-matched healthy subjects as controls. Circulating cytokine values were evaluated in basal conditions in all children, and 6 and 24 h following the 1st hGH injection (0.23 mg/kg per week), and then after 3 months of hGH treatment in GHD patients. Serum levels of IL-4, IL-6, IL-12 and TNF-alpha were measured by commercially available ELISAs.


RESULTS
No significant differences were found between controls and GHD children in basal values of serum IL-4, IL-6, IL-12 and TNF-alpha (P > 0.05 by Mann-Whitney U test). Analysis of cytokine levels during hGH treatment showed significant changes over time in TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels (P = 0.0014 and P = 0.00 024 respectively), with the more pronounced effect observed at 6 h following the first administration of hGH (i.e. increase in IL-6 (Wilcoxon matched pairs test, P = 0.0015) and TNF-alpha levels (P = 0.0015)). No significant changes over time were observed in IL-4 and IL-12 serum levels.


CONCLUSIONS
In vivo release of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-alpha can be affected by hGH treatment in GHD children, suggesting a direct effect of GH on the immune function.
Pagani
Sara
S
Dipartimento di Scienze Pediatriche, Università degli Studi di Pavia, Piazzale C Golgi 2, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
Meazza
Cristina
C
Travaglino
Paola
P
De Benedetti
Fabrizio
F
Tinelli
Carmine
C
Bozzola
Mauro
M
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000172:deficiency*; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000187:drug effects; D007223:Infant; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000097:blood; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
D016207:Cytokines; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D018664:Interleukin-12; D015847:Interleukin-4