title: Effect of zinc supplementation on growth hormone-insulin growth factor axis in short Egyptian children with zinc deficiency.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The relationship between zinc (Zn) and growth hormone-insulin growth factor (GH-IGF) system and how Zn therapy stimulates growth in children has not been clearly defined in humans. Thus, we aimed to assess GH-IGF axis in short children with Zn deficiency and to investigate the effect of Zn supplementation on these parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty pre-pubertal Egyptian children with short stature and Zn deficiency were compared to 50 age-, sex-, and pubertal stage- matched controls. All subjects were subjected to history, auxological assessment and measurement of serum Zn, IGF-1, insulin growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3); and basal and stimulated GH before and 3 months after Zn supplementation (50 mg/day).
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 3 months of Zn supplementation in Zn-deficient patients, there were significant increases in height standard deviation score (SDS, P = 0.033), serum Zn (P < 0.001), IGF-1 (P < 0.01), IGF-1 standard deviation score (SDS, P < 0.01) and IGFBP-3 (P = 0.042). Zn rose in all patients but reached normal ranges in 64 %, IGF-1 levels rose in 60 % but reached normal ranges in 40 % and IGFBP-3 levels rose in 40 % but reached reference ranges in 22 %. Growth velocity (GV) SDS did not differ between cases and controls (p = 0.15) but was higher in GH-deficient patients than non-deficient ones, both having Zn deficiency (p = 0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels were low in short children with Zn deficiency, and increased after Zn supplementation for 3 months but their levels were still lower than the normal reference ranges in most children; therefore, Zn supplementation may be necessary for longer periods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Ain Shams University, 36 Hisham Labib street, off Makram Ebeid street, Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt. rashatarif_2000@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Rasha T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Hamza
authors.forename: Amira I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Hamed
authors.forename: Mahmoud T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Sallam
mesh_terms: D001827:Body Height; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D004534:Egypt / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 / Q000097:blood*; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D013006:Growth Hormone; D015032:Zinc