ABSTRACT
Total body composition and the bone mineral content (BMC) and density (BMD) of 8 perpubertal (4 boys and 4 girls) GH-deficient children aged 6-14 years were investigated before and during a 3-6 month period on human growth hormone (hGH) therapy (0.075 IU/Kg/day, sc.); measurements were made by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Before hGH therapy, total body fat mass was 4 + 3 kg and the total body percentage of fat was 22 + 12 per cent; the total lean mass was 14 + 3 kg. Total BMC was 625 + 163 g, and total BMD was 0.777 + 0.025 g/cm2. When compared with a matched population of normal children, GH-deficient children presented decreased lean mass (-0.9 to -5.9 SD), BMC (-0.9 to - 5.6 SD) and BMD (-0.1 to -4 SD). Fat mass, as a percentage, was not significantly different between populations (22 + 12 per cent in GH-deficient children vs. 17 + 5 per cent in normal children, p>0.05). Therapy with hGH was associated with: (I) a major decrease of total body percentage of fat mass: -31 + 15 per cent after 6 months (p<0.05); and with (II) an increase in the total lean mass and total BMC, 14 + 8 per cent and 7 + 5 per cent, respectively (both p<0.05). Total BMD was not significantly changed after 6 months of hGH therapy. We conclude that hGH replacement therapy results in a major and rapid decrease of total fat mass and in a less pronoucend increase of total lean mass.