TY - JOUR
T1 - The Association between Somatotropin Therapy and the Risk of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Children with Short Stature
T2 - A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study
AU - Brill, Gherta
AU - Manor, Iris
AU - Bril Paroz, Roberta
AU - Ashkenazi, Shai
AU - Cohen, Shira
AU - Golan-Cohen, Avivit
AU - Green, Ilan
AU - Israel, Ariel
AU - Vinker, Shlomo
AU - Weizman, Abraham
AU - Merzon, Eugene
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by the authors.
PY - 2022/12
Y1 - 2022/12
N2 - COVID-19 is a worldwide pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, to which adults are usually more susceptible than children. Growth hormone (GH) levels differ between children and adults and decrease with age. There is bidirectional crosstalk between the GH/insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) pathway and the immune system that plays a significant role in SARS-CoV-2 infection. We evaluated the association between somatotropin treatment (GH replacement therapy) and the risk for SARS-CoV-2 positivity (a marker for COVID-19 infection) in children with growth hormone issues (GHI): growth hormone deficiency (GHD) and idiopathic short stature (ISS). A population-based cross-sectional study in Leumit Health Services (LHS) was performed using the electronic health record (EHR) database. The rates of SARS-CoV-2 positivity were evaluated among children with GHI, treated or untreated with somatotropin. Higher rates of SARS-CoV-2 positivity were found in GHI children, influenced by the same confounders reported in the pediatric population. A lower prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity was found among the somatotropin-treated children. A multivariate analysis documented that somatotropin treatment was associated with a reduced risk of SARS-CoV-2 positivity (Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.47, Confidence Interval (CI) 0.24–0.94, p = 0.032). Thus, somatotropin might be a protective factor against SARS-CoV-2 infections, possibly related to its immunomodulatory activity.
AB - COVID-19 is a worldwide pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, to which adults are usually more susceptible than children. Growth hormone (GH) levels differ between children and adults and decrease with age. There is bidirectional crosstalk between the GH/insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) pathway and the immune system that plays a significant role in SARS-CoV-2 infection. We evaluated the association between somatotropin treatment (GH replacement therapy) and the risk for SARS-CoV-2 positivity (a marker for COVID-19 infection) in children with growth hormone issues (GHI): growth hormone deficiency (GHD) and idiopathic short stature (ISS). A population-based cross-sectional study in Leumit Health Services (LHS) was performed using the electronic health record (EHR) database. The rates of SARS-CoV-2 positivity were evaluated among children with GHI, treated or untreated with somatotropin. Higher rates of SARS-CoV-2 positivity were found in GHI children, influenced by the same confounders reported in the pediatric population. A lower prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity was found among the somatotropin-treated children. A multivariate analysis documented that somatotropin treatment was associated with a reduced risk of SARS-CoV-2 positivity (Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.47, Confidence Interval (CI) 0.24–0.94, p = 0.032). Thus, somatotropin might be a protective factor against SARS-CoV-2 infections, possibly related to its immunomodulatory activity.
KW - ADHD
KW - COVID-19
KW - SARS-CoV-2
KW - growth hormone
KW - growth hormone deficiency
KW - idiopathic short stature
KW - immune system
KW - short stature
KW - somatotropin
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85144646810&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/children9121844
DO - 10.3390/children9121844
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C2 - 36553288
AN - SCOPUS:85144646810
SN - 2227-9067
VL - 9
JO - Children
JF - Children
IS - 12
M1 - 1844
ER -