Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Children Treated with Growth Hormone: A Follow-Up Study over Three Years.

Background: There is an ongoing discussion whether high doses of growth hormone (GH) may lead to cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, we studied the longitudinal relationships between GH treatment and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), which is predictive of the development of atherosclerosis.

Methods: We measured blood pressure, lipids, hemoglobin HbA1c, IGF-1, IGFBP-3, and cIMT in 28 children treated with supraphysiological doses of GH (mean age 9.

Copeptin in obese children and adolescents: relationships to body mass index, cortisol and gender.

Objective: Copeptin has been reported to be associated with stress, obesity and the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adults. However, data in childhood are scarce. Therefore, we studied the relationships between copeptin, cortisol, puberty and parameters of the MetS in children.

Progressive Decline in Height Standard Deviation Scores in the First 5 Years of Life Distinguished Idiopathic Growth Hormone Deficiency from Familial Short Stature and Constitutional Delay of Growth.

Background: Familial short stature (FSS) and constitutional delay of growth (CDG) are the most frequent norm variants in children presenting with short stature. Knowing the growth patterns of these entities in the first years of life might be helpful to distinguish them from growth hormone deficiency (GHD) or other chronic diseases.

Methods: We studied the height in the first 5 years of life in 26 children with FSS, in 38 children with CDG and in 14 children with idiopathic GHD.

Which Amount of BMI-SDS Reduction Is Necessary to Improve Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Overweight Children?

Context: Knowing the changes of cardiovascular risk factors (CRFs) in relation to weight loss would be helpful to advise overweight children and their parents and to decide whether drugs should be prescribed in addition to lifestyle intervention.

Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the body mass index (BMI)-SD score (SDS) reduction to improve CRFs in overweight children.

Design: This was a prospective observation study.

Weight gain in Turner Syndrome: association to puberty induction? - longitudinal analysis of KIGS data.

Context: Girls with Turner Syndrome (TS) treated or not treated with growth hormone (GH) are prone to overweight. Therefore, we hypothesize that puberty induction in TS is associated with weight gain.

Methods: We analyzed weight changes (BMI-SDS) between onset of GH treatment and near adult height (NAH) in 887 girls with TS enrolled in KIGS (Pfizer International Growth Database).

Accuracy of the AAST organ injury scale for CT evaluation of traumatic liver and spleen injuries.

Objective: Detection of abdominal injury is a very important component in trauma management, so a precise assessment of liver and spleen injuries including their severity degree is necessary. There is a good case to believe that in emergency situations the radiologists' performance may profit from a systematic approach using established scoring systems. Score systems as the organ injury scale (OIS) drawn up by the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma are a valuable guidance for objective trauma assessment.