Genetics in growth, and pituitary tumorigenesis. Preface.

Abstract

old age ( Hormone Research 2003, vol. 60, suppl. 1). In 2004 and 2005, the Expert Meetings moved to France, first discussing the value of IGF-I in diagnosis and for monitoring the safety and efficacy of GH therapy ( Hormone Research 2004, vol. 62, suppl. 1) and the following year covering methods to determine insulin sensitivity in clinical practice, and the relationship between GH and cognition ( Hormone Research 2005, vol. 64, suppl. 3). The 9th KIGS/KIMS Expert Meeting returned once again to Italy, where participants focused on the relationship between growth and metabolism in skeletal muscle ( Hormone Research 2006, vol. 66, suppl. 1). The 10th KIGS/KIMS Expert Meeting was held in Florence, Italy, in April 2008, and looked at the genetic basis of GH-related diseases. First, genetic approaches to understanding the pathogenesis of growth disorders were discussed, including candidate gene, whole-genome and epigenetic methodology. This was followed by a session looking at the role of genetic changes effecting growth and response to GH therapy. On the second day of the meeting, the genetic basis of pituitary tumorigenesis was the subject of the presentations, covering the full spectrum from animal models to clinical studies. The participants of the 10th KIGS/KIMS Expert Meeting would like to thank Patrick Wilton, Margaretha Lindell, Maria Kołtowska-Häggström and Pfizer Endocrine Care for their ongoing support of this meeting series. The editors would also like to thank the members of the KIGS/ KIMS Strategic Advisory Boards, and the invited experts for their participation and valuable contributions. We hope that this supplement will be of both interest and value to those involved in the treatment of GH deficiency and to the wider clinical and scientific community, and that the organizers will continue to support these meetings in the coming years. David B. Dunger, Cambridge, UK Vera Popović-Brkić, Belgrade, Serbia KIGS (Pfizer International Growth Database) and KIMS (Pfizer International Metabolic Database) are Pfizer’s long-running international databases investigating the effects of growth hormone (GH) therapy on growth and metabolism in children and adults, respectively. The KIGS/KIMS Expert Meetings were established with the same aim as the databases, namely of expanding knowledge in the fields of growth, metabolism and GH therapy. Each meeting provides a forum for debate involving groups of experts with different areas of expertise. Over the years, controversial and less well-known areas have been chosen for debate, allowing a process of consensus formation and standardization of methodology to be attempted. The 1st and 2nd Expert Meetings were held in Italy in 1995 and 1996, before KIMS was initiated, and therefore focused solely on paediatric issues, specifically bone maturation and idiopathic short stature ( Hormone Research 1996, vol. 45, suppl. 2) and the evaluation of body composition in children born small for gestational age ( Hormone Research 1997, vol. 48, suppl. 1). The 3rd KIGS/ KIMS Expert Meeting was held in 1998 and discussed GH measurements in the clinical setting, as well as the role of large-scale databases in evidence-based medicine ( Hormone Research 1999, vol. 51, suppl. 1). In 1999, the 4th Expert Meeting focused on GH and bone in adults and children, with topics including markers of bone strength and the assessment of fracture risk ( Hormone Research 2000, vol. 54, suppl. 1). The first Expert Meeting of the 21st century (in 2001) saw a move from Italy to the UK, with discussions at the 5th Expert Meeting covering GH sensitivity and the standardization of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) measurement ( Hormone Research 2001, vol. 55, suppl. 2). Returning to Italy in 2002, the 6th Expert Meeting addressed the changes in GH physiology and the challenges of GH replacement throughout life, from early infancy, through puberty and adolescence, to Published online: April 29, 2009 HORMONE RESEARCH