Prognostic significance of growth hormone in pediatric liver transplantation

Growth hormone (GH) plays a leading role in the regulation of cell and tissue metabolism and growth. Its effects are mediated through the so-called somatomedins, among which the most important is the liver-produced insulinlike growth factor 1 (IGF-1). It has been reported that serum GH levels in liver recipients is related to the clinical transplant outcomes.Objective: to evaluate the prognostic significance of GH in pediatric liver transplantation (LT).Materials and methods. The study enrolled 148 children (61 boys) aged 2 to 60 months (median, 8) with end-stage liver disease resulting from biliary atresia (n = 86), biliary hypoplasia (n = 14), Byler disease (n = 15), Alagille syndrome (n = 12), Caroli syndrome (n = 5), and other liver diseases (n = 16, cryptogenic cirrhosis, fulminant and autoimmune hepatitis, Crigler–Najjar and Budd–Chiari syndromes, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, glycogenosis and hepatoblastoma). All the patients were transplanted with the left lateral segment of the liver from a living related donor. GH concentrations were measured by enzyme immunoassay before, at one month and at one year after transplantation.Results. Median plasma GH levels in children with liver disease were 4.3 [1.6–7.2] ng/mL, significantly higher than in healthy children of the same age at 1.2 [0.3–2.4] ng/mL, p = 0.001, while mean height and body weight were lower than in healthy controls. GH levels decreased significantly after transplantation. At one month and one year later, the levels did not differ from those of healthy children (p = 0.74, p = 0.67, respectively). One month after transplantation, GH concentrations were lower in 1-year survivors than in non-survivors (p = 0.02); the diagnostically significant threshold GH level was 1.8 ng/mL. Prior to LT, plasma GH levels did not differ between 1-year survivors and non-survivors. Children with GH levels below 1.8 ng/mL post-LT were 9 times more likely to survive one year post-transplant than patients with levels above the threshold.Conclusion. GH concentrations in pediatric liver recipients is a positive prognostic indicator of pediatric LT outcomes.