Pharmacokinetic studies of recombinant human insulin-like growth factor I (rhIGF-I)/rhIGF-binding protein-3 complex administered to patients with growth hormone insensitivity syndrome.

CONTEXT: GH insensitivity syndrome (GHIS), Laron syndrome, is characterized by severe short stature, high serum GH levels, and very low serum IGF-I and IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) levels associated with a genetic defect of the GH receptor. Recombinant human (rh) IGF-I treatment at doses of 80-120 microg/kg given sc twice daily is effective in promoting growth in these patients. We have investigated a newly developed drug, rhIGF-I/rhIGFBP-3, a 1:1 molar complex of rhIGF-I and rhIGFBP-3. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the study were to determine IGF-I pharmacokinetics after the administration of rhIGF-I/rhIGFBP-3 in adolescents with GHIS and to evaluate its safety and tolerability. DESIGN: This was an open-label clinical study. SETTING: The study was conducted in a general pediatric ward of a university teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Four patients (one female and three males; mean age, 14.9 yr; mean height sd score, -4.9) with confirmed molecular diagnosis of GHIS agreed to participate in the study. INTERVENTION: rhIGF-I/rhIGFBP-3 was administered in a single sc injection at 0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg.dose (equivalent to 100 and 200 microg/kg rhIGF-I) after breakfast with a 2-d interval between doses. RESULTS: IGF-I levels reached a maximum between 19 +/- 8.3 and 15 +/- 6.2 h for the low and high doses, respectively. The circulating IGF-I levels obtained with the low and high doses were similar, although a discrete dose-dependent increase in circulating IGF-I levels was observed. The IGF-I half-life in four subjects after a dose of 0.5 mg/kg rhIGF-I/rhIGFBP-3 was estimated to be 21+/- 4 h. There were no acute adverse events reported, and all blood glucose measurements were normal. CONCLUSION: These data demonstrated that the rhIGF-I/rhIGFBP-3 complex was effective in increasing levels of circulating total and free IGF-I into the normal range for a 24-h period after a single sc administration in patients with GHIS, and that administration of rhIGF-I/rhIGFBP-3 was safe and well tolerated.

The role of growth hormone in determining birth size and early postnatal growth, using congenital growth hormone deficiency (GHD) as a model.

OBJECTIVE: The role of GH in early human growth is unclear. Congenital GH deficiency (CGHD) provides a useful tool to explore this putative role. We have assessed the effects of CGHD on birth size and early postnatal growth, and the further impact of the presence of additional pituitary hormone deficiencies and midline brain defects on these parameters. DESIGN, PATIENTS AND MEASUREMENTS: Weight, length and BMI expressed as standard deviation scores (SDS), over the first two years of life, were retrospectively compared in 44 GH-deficient children (M:F 26 : 18). Thirty-eight of 44 patients underwent GH provocation testing and all patients had neuro-imaging of the brain. The patients were divided into three groups of increasing phenotypic complexity {group A [n = 12, isolated GHD, no midline defects], group B [n = 10, combined pituitary hormone deficiency (CPHD); no midline defects], group C (n = 22, CPHD with midline defects)}. RESULTS: Mean birth weight, length and BMI SDS were -0.4, -0.9 and +0.1 SDS, respectively. The differences were significant for weight (P = 0.03) and BMI (P = 0.003), but not length (P = 0.3) SDS, between groups A and C. Of the three groups, group A had a lower weight and BMI SDS than group C. The prevalence of postnatal complications (n = 25) was significantly different in the three groups [group A (8%), group B (80%), group C (73%); P < 0.001] and particularly between patients with isolated GH deficiency (IGHD) (group A) and CPHD (groups B and C; P < 0.0001). No patients in group A presented with neonatal hypoglycaemia as compared with 70% of those in group B and 59% in group C (P = 0.001). A reduced length SDS was observed in all patients within 6 months of birth and the reduction was greatest in group B (P = 0.03). Group C remained significantly (P < 0.05) heavier at 12, 18 and 24 months compared to group A. BMI SDS was significantly (P < 0.05) greater at all study points in CPHD patients (groups B and C) as compared with IGHD. Serum GH concentrations at testing did not correlate significantly with birth length (r = -0.08, P = 0.7), birth weight (r = -0.08, P = 0.6) or the age at induction of GH treatment (r = 0.12, P = 0.5). There were no significant differences between peak serum GH concentrations in patients in groups A (7.8 +/- 6.3 mU/l), B (3.9 +/- 4.8 mU/l) or C (8.7 +/- 5.4 mU/l). CONCLUSIONS: Length, weight and BMI data from our study groups suggest that GH per se has a minimal effect on intrauterine growth but a significant effect during the infancy period. Early growth may also be influenced by the complexity of the hypopituitary phenotype reflected by the presence of additional pituitary hormone deficiencies and midline forebrain defects.

Catch-up growth or regression to the mean? Recovery from stunting revisited.

An important question for policy is the extent to which catch-up growth can ease the impact of early stunting. Martorell et al. (1992) showed that stunted Guatemalan infants remain stunted into adulthood, whereas Adair (1999) found appreciable catch-up growth in Filipino children from 2-12 years. Both groups defined catch-up as an inverse correlation between early height and subsequent growth, but Martorell based the correlation on height, whereas Adair used height z scores. The statistical phenomenon of regression to the mean is much like catch-up growth, an inverse correlation between initial height and later height gain. The objective of this study was to reexamine the relationship between stunting and later catch-up growth in the context of regression to the mean. The design was a theoretical analysis showing that catch-up growth is more evident based on height z scores than on height, validated using data on 495 stunted South African children seen at 2 and 5 years of age. The correlation between height at 2 and height change from 2 to 5 was small based on height (-0.11) but large and highly significant based on height z score (-0.58), providing strong evidence of catch-up growth. We argue that catch-up growth should be estimated using height z score not height and that catch-up is present only when the change in z score exceeds that predicted by regression to the mean. This leads to a compact definition of catch-up growth: if z1 and z2 are the initial and final (mean) height z scores, and r is the correlation between them, then catch-up growth for groups or individuals is given by (z2 - rz1).

Is the thyrotropin-releasing hormone test necessary in the diagnosis of central hypothyroidism in children.

To determine the value of the TRH test, we analyzed the unstimulated serum T(4) and TSH concentrations in 54 children with central hypothyroidism. A TRH test was performed in 30 patients. Midline brain defects (septo-optic dysplasia, 28; holoprosencephaly, 2) and combined pituitary hormone deficiencies were present in 30 and 52 patients, respectively. The mean serum free T(4), total T(4), and basal TSH concentrations were 0.6 ng/dl, 4.0 microg/dl, and 2.8 microU/ml, respectively. Five patients demonstrated elevated basal serum TSH concentrations. A normal TRH test [increase (delta) in TSH, 4.5-17.8], based on data from 30 controls, was documented in 23.3% of patients. Brisk (deltaTSH, >17.8), absent/blunted (deltaTSH, <4.5), and delayed responses were documented in 16.7%, 30%, and 30% of patients, respectively. The mean age at diagnosis was 2.8 yr, with 8 patients evolving into TSH deficiency. It was not possible to differentiate patients as having pituitary or hypothalamic disease based solely on the TRH test results. Patients with septo-optic dysplasia were diagnosed earlier and had elevated basal serum TSH and PRL concentrations, diabetes insipidus, and evolving disease. Although full pituitary function assessment is mandatory to identify combined pituitary hormone deficiencies, a TRH test is not essential, and the diagnosis should be made by serial T(4) measurements.

Imprinted methylation profiles for proximal mouse chromosomes 11 and 7 as revealed by methylation-sensitive representational difference analysis.

Proximal mouse Chromosome (Chr) 11 shares regions of orthology with the candidate gene region for the imprinting growth disorder Silver-Russell syndrome (SRS) on human Chr 7p. It has previously been shown that mice with two maternal or two paternal copies (duplications, Dp) of proximal Chr 11 exhibit reciprocal growth phenotypes. Those with two paternal copies show fetal and placental overgrowth, while those with two maternal copies are growth retarded. The growth retardation observed in the latter is reminiscent of the intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) observed in SRS patients with maternal uniparental disomy for Chr 7 (mUPD7). We have carried out a methylation-sensitive representational difference analysis (Me-RDA) screen to look for regions of differential methylation (DMRs) associated with imprinted genes. For these experiments, we have used mouse embryos with uniparental duplications of Chrs 11 and 7 proximal to the breakpoint of the reciprocal translocation T(7;11)40Ad. Two previously known imprinted loci associated with paternal allele hypomethylation were recovered on proximal mouse Chr 11, U2af1-rs1 and Meg1/Grb10. These two genes map 15 cM apart, so it seems likely that they are within separate imprinted domains that do not contain additional DMRs. The known imprinted gene Peg3, located on mouse proximal Chr 7, was also detected in our screen. The finding that Peg3 was differentially methylated in embryos with uniparental inheritance of proximal Chr 7 confirms that Peg3 is located proximal to the breakpoint of T40Ad in G-band 7A2. Because GRB10 has previously been reported to be a candidate gene for SRS, we analysed 22 patients for epimutations of the GRB10 differentially methylated region that could lead to the altered expression of this gene. No such mutations were found.

Size at birth and early childhood growth in relation to maternal smoking, parity and infant breast-feeding: longitudinal birth cohort study and analysis.

There is remarkably wide variation in rates of infancy growth, however, its regulation is not well understood. We examined the relationship between maternal smoking, parity, and breast- or bottle-feeding to size at birth and childhood growth between 0 and 5 y in a large representative birth cohort. A total of 1,335 normal infants had weight, length/height, and head circumference measured at birth and on up to 10 occasions to 5 y old. Multilevel modeling (MLwiN) was used to analyze longitudinal growth data. Infants of maternal smokers were symmetrically small at birth (p < 0.0005) compared with infants of nonsmokers, however, showed complete catch-up growth over the first 12 mo. In contrast, infants of primiparous pregnancies were thin at birth (p < 0.0005), showed dramatic catch-up growth, and were heavier and taller than infants of nonprimiparous pregnancies from 12 mo onwards. Breast-fed infants were similar in size at birth than bottle-fed infants, but grew more slowly during infancy. Among infants who showed catch-up growth, males caught up more rapidly than females (p = 0.002). In conclusion, early postnatal growth rates are strongly influenced by a drive to compensate for antenatal restraint or enhancement of fetal growth by maternal-uterine factors. The mechanisms that signal catch-up or catch-down growth are unknown but may involve programming of appetite. The importance of nutrition on early childhood growth is emphasized by the marked difference in growth rates between breast- and bottle-fed infants. The sequence of fetal growth restraint and postnatal catch-up growth may predispose to obesity risk in this contemporary population.

Chromosome 7p disruptions in Silver Russell syndrome: delineating an imprinted candidate gene region.

Silver-Russell syndrome (SRS) is characterised by pre- and postnatal growth restriction (PNGR) and additional dysmorphic features including body asymmetry and fifth finger clinodactyly. The syndrome is genetically heterogeneous, with a number of chromosomes implicated. However, maternal uniparental disomy for chromosome 7 has been demonstrated in up to 10% of all cases. Three SRS probands have previously been described with a maternally inherited duplication of 7p11.2-p13, defining this as a candidate region. Over-expression of a maternally transcribed, imprinted gene with growth-suppressing activity located within the duplicated region, or breakpoint disruption of genes or regulatory sequences, may account for the phenotype in these cases. Here we describe two additional SRS patients and four probands with PNGR with a range of cytogenetic disruptions of 7p, including duplications, pericentric inversions and a translocation. An incomplete contig consisting of 80 PACs and BACs from the centromere to 7p14 was constructed. Individual clones from this contig were used as FISH probes to map the breakpoints in the six new cases and the three duplication probands previously described. Our data provide further evidence for a candidate SRS region at 7p11.1-p14. A common breakpoint region was identified within 7p11.2 in all nine cases, pinpointing this specific interval. The imprinting status of genes within the 7p11.1-p14 region flanked by the most extreme breakpoints have been analysed using both somatic cell hybrids containing a single full-length maternally or paternally derived chromosome 7 and expressed single nucleotide polymorphisms in paired fetal and maternal samples.

DDC and COBL, flanking the imprinted GRB10 gene on 7p12, are biallelically expressed.

Maternal duplication of human 7p11.2-p13 has been associated with Silver-Russell syndrome (SRS) in two familial cases. GRB10 is the only imprinted gene identified within this region to date. GRB10 demonstrates an intricate tissue- and isoform-specific imprinting profile in humans, with paternal expression in fetal brain and maternal expression of one isoform in skeletal muscle. The mouse homolog is maternally transcribed. The GRB10 protein is a potent growth inhibitor and represents a candidate for SRS, which is characterized by pre- and postnatal growth retardation and a spectrum of additional dysmorphic features. Since imprinted genes tend to be grouped in clusters, we investigated the imprinting status of the dopa-decarboxylase gene (DDC) and the Cordon-bleu gene (COBL) which flank GRB10 within the 7p11.2-p13 SRS duplicated region. Although both genes were found to replicate asynchronously, suggestive of imprinting, SNP expression analyses showed that neither gene was imprinted in multiple human fetal tissues. The mouse homologues, Ddc and Cobl, which map to the homologous imprinted region on proximal Chr 11, were also biallelically expressed in mice with uniparental maternal or paternal inheritance of this region. With the intent of using mouse Grb10 as an imprinted control, biallelic expression was consistently observed in fetal, postnatal, and adult brain of these mice, in contrast to the maternal-specific transcription previously demonstrated in brain in inter-specific F1 progeny. This may be a further example of over-expression of maternally derived transcripts in inter-specific mouse crosses. GRB10 remains the only imprinted gene identified within 7p11.2-p13.