Long-term lanreotide treatment in six patients with congenital hyperinsulinism.
BACKGROUND
Medical treatment is a substantial therapeutic measure to achieve glycemic control and prevent hypoglycemic brain damage without surgery in patients with congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI). However, only few drugs are available and even fewer are approved as a medical therapy to maintain normal blood glucose levels. The established therapies are demanding for caregivers and complicated by different side effects such as gastrointestinal symptoms, hypertrichosis, and obesity. Therefore, it is important to develop new strategies to improve blood glucose control.


METHODS
We report the use of the very-long-acting somatostatin analogue lanreotide autogel in 6 patients with CHI over a mean duration of 40.8 months. Blood glucose levels before and after the start and dosage titration of lanreotide in these patients are compared.


RESULTS
In 3 of 6 patients, switching to lanreotide raised mean blood glucose levels and reduced individually as well as overall the risk for hypoglycemic episodes (odds ratio 0.38) significantly.


CONCLUSIONS
Lanreotide autogel can be used as an alternative pharmacological treatment and may be beneficial in conservatively treated patients with CHI.
Institute of Experimental Paediatric Endocrinology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Peter
P
Kühnen
Jan
J
Marquard
Andrea
A
Ernert
Thomas
T
Meissner
Klemens
K
Raile
Gertrud
G
Wannenmacher
Oliver
O
Blankenstein
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D044903:Congenital Hyperinsulinism / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D013997:Time Factors
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001786:Blood Glucose; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; C060347:lanreotide; D013004:Somatostatin