Endocrine Abstracts

Objectives: The current study intended to assess the impact of GH deficiency (GHD) on bone health after using various size corrections.

Methods: Thirty prepubescent children with GHD (male:female=20:10, mean age −9.4±3.5 years) were included in the study. Data on anthropometry and total body bone mineral content (TBBMC), bone area (TBBA) and lean body mass (TBLBM) by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry were collected. Anthropometric Z-scores and bone parameter Z-scores were computed using ethnic normative reference database.

Results: Mean height for age Z-score (HAZ) was −5.1±1.7. Mean TBBMC for age Z-score was −9.2±6.3 and mean TBBA for age Z-score was −7.1±4.3. All the study children had ‘short bones’ with HAZ<−2. Twenty four (80%) children had ‘narrow bones’ (TBBA for height Z-score <−2). Twenty one (70%) children had ‘light bones’ (TBBMC for TBBA Z-score <−2). Mean TBBMC for age Z-scores were significantly lower than the mean HAZ (P<0.05), indicating lower BMC after adjusting for height. Mean TBBMC for TBLBM Z-score was −3.3±4.2, indicating bone mineral deficit even after adjusting for TBLBM. There was no significant gender difference in any of the parameters.

Discussion: GHD in children causes low bone mineral density (BMD). Height and muscle force drive bone mineralization. International society of clinical densitiometry has made it obligatory to applying size corrections. Analysis of different bone health parameters lead to the demonstration that Indian children with GHD have ‘short bones’ (100% cases), ‘narrow bones’ (80% cases) and ‘light bones’ (70% cases).

Conclusion: Indian prepubertal GHD children had low bone mass even after applying size corrections implying need for corrective measures for their bone health.