Abstract
Conflicting data regarding the immune function in growth hormone (GH) deficient children or changes in immunological parameters during substitutive GH therapy have been reported. Ue have looked at the immune function in 13 patients with GH deficiency, before and during treatment with biosynthetic GH (12IU/m2 b. s. / week) at 6 end 12 months of therapy. We found that absolute number of total T and T-lymphocyte subsets (using monoclonal Ab as markers). Natural Killer cell activity (target KS62) and response of lymphocytes to polyclonal mitogens (PHA, ConA, PWM) were all in the normal range ana so remained after 6 and 12 months of treatment. Absolute number of 8 lymphocytes (monoclonal Ab) was in the normal range before treatment and after 6 months of therapy but dropped significantly (p<0.001) after 12 months of treatment. Serum immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, IgM) did not show a parallel drop remaining normal throughout the whole study. Our date seem to confirm that, as evidenciated clinically by the lack of undue susceptibility to infectious agents in GH deficient patients, immune function is intact in these children and it is not suppressed by GH treatment. Although a drop in B lymphocytes was observed, the normal level of Igs and the normal functional response to PWM seem to demonstrate the maintenance of a normal specific humoral immunity.
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Spadoni, G., Rossi, P., Ragno, W. et al. IMMUNE FUNCTION IN GROWTH HORMONE-DEFICIENT CHILDREN TREATED WITH BIOSYNTHETIC GROWTH HORMONE. Pediatr Res 26, 520 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198911000-00126
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198911000-00126