Growth hormone treatment enhances nutrition and growth in children with cystic fibrosis receiving enteral nutrition.
OBJECTIVE
Impaired longitudinal growth and poor weight gain are common and important problems in children with cystic fibrosis. This study evaluates the hypothesis that adjunctive growth hormone (GH) therapy augments the growth response to nutritional supplementation.


METHODS
We recruited 18 prepubertal children who received enteral nutritional supplementation for at least 2 years before enrollment. Nine were randomly assigned to receive no GH for 1 year, followed by 1 year of GH. Nine were randomly assigned to receive 1 year of GH followed by a second year of GH. Measurements included height, weight, pulmonary function, lean tissue mass, bone mineral content, hospitalizations, outpatient antibiotic use, and caloric intake.


RESULTS
Growth hormone resulted in significant improvement in height, weight, bone mineral content, lean tissue mass, and number of hospitalizations. Pulmonary function was similar at baseline. Absolute forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in 1 minute significantly increased in GH treatment, but there was no significant change in percent predicted pulmonary function. Caloric intake was similar in both groups during both years.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that GH is a useful for enhancing growth in children with cystic fibrosis receiving enteral nutritional supplementation.
Hardin
Dana S
DS
University of Texas-Southwestern Medical School, Department of Pediatrics, Dallas 75390-9063, USA.
Rice
Julie
J
Ahn
Chul
C
Ferkol
Thomas
T
Howenstine
Michelle
M
Spears
Stacey
S
Prestidge
Claude
C
Seilheimer
Dan K
DK
Shepherd
Ross
R
D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D015519:Bone Density; D002648:Child; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000150:complications*; D002149:Energy Intake; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000209:etiology*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests
D001786:Blood Glucose; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019382:Human Growth Hormone