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The exon 3-deleted/full-length Growth Hormone Receptor Polymorphism Does Not Influence the Effect of Puberty or Growth Hormone Therapy on Glucose Homeostasis in Short Non-Growth Hormone-Deficient Small-for-Gestational-Age Children: Results from a Two-Year Controlled Prospective Study

Department of Pediatrics (L.A., A.C., C.E., M.F.-C., P.A., D.Y.), Research Institute, Hospital Vall d’Hebron, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Autonomous University, 08035 Barcelona, Spain; Medical Unit (R.E.), Pfizer S.A., 28040 Madrid, Spain; Department of Clinical Biochemistry (M.L.G.), Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, 08916 Badalona, Spain; Medical Endocrine Care (H.W.), Pfizer GmbH, 76032 Karlsruhe, Germany; and Endocrine Care Team (L.F.), Pfizer Health AB, 11251 Stockholm, Sweden

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Laura Audí, Servicio de Pediatría, Unidad de Endocrinología, Hospital Maternoinfantil Vall d’Hebron, Paseo Vall d’Hebron 119, 08035 Barcelona, Spain. E-mail: laudi{at}ir.vhebron.net.

Context: The exon 3-deleted/full-length (d3/fl) GH receptor polymorphism (d3/fl-GHR) has been associated with responsiveness to GH therapy in short small-for-gestational-age (SGA) patients, although consensus is lacking. However, its influence on glucose homeostasis, at baseline or under GH therapy, has not been investigated.

Objective: Our objective was to evaluate whether the d3/fl-GHR genotypes influence insulin sensitivity in short SGA children before or after puberty onset or during GH therapy.

Design: We conducted a 2-yr prospective, controlled, randomized trial.

Setting: Thirty Spanish hospitals participated. Auxological, GH secretion, and glucose homeostasis evaluation was hospital based, whereas molecular analyses and data computation were centralized.

Patients: Patients included 219 short SGA children [body mass index SD score (SDS) 2.0]; 159 were prepubertal (group 1), and 60 had entered puberty (group 2).

Intervention: Seventy-eight patients from group 1 were treated with GH (66 µg/kg·d) for 2 yr (group 3).

Main Outcome Measures: Previous and 2-yr follow-up auxological and biochemical data were recorded, d3/fl-GHR genotypes determined, and data analyzed.

Results: In groups 1 and 2, fasting glucose, insulin, homeostasis model assessment (HOMA), and quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI) were similar in each d3/fl-GHR genotype. Group 2 glucose, insulin, and HOMA were significantly higher and QUICKI lower than in group 1. In group 3 GH-treated patients, height SDS, growth velocity SDS, fasting glucose, insulin, and HOMA significantly increased as did body mass index SDS at the end of the second year, and QUICKI decreased during the first and second years, with no differences among the d3/fl-GHR genotypes.

Conclusion: In short SGA patients, the d3/fl-GHR genotypes do not seem to influence prepubertal or pubertal insulin sensitivity indexes or their changes over 2 yr of GH therapy (66 µg/kg·d).