Sustained low-dose growth hormone therapy optimizes bioactive insulin-like growth factor-I level and may enhance CD4 T-cell number in HIV infection

• Published in: Journal of medical virology Vol. 82; no. 2; pp. 197 - 205
• Main Authors: Andersen, Ove, Hansen, Birgitte Rønde, Troensegaard, William, Flyvbjerg, Allan, Madsbad, Sten, Ørskov, Hans, Nielsen, Jens Ole, Iversen, Johan, Haugaard, Steen B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01-02-2010; Wiley
• Subjects: Adult; antiretroviral therapy; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; Biological and medical sciences; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Female; free IGF-I; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; HIV Infections - drug therapy; HIV Infections - immunology; Human Growth Hormone - administration & dosage; Human Growth Hormone - therapeutic use; Human viral diseases; Humans; immune response; Infectious diseases; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I - analysis; Male; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; T-cell restoration; Treatment Outcome; Viral diseases; Virology; Immunopathology; Antiretroviral agent; CD4 T lymphocyte; Immune response; Hormone therapy; Low dose; antiretroviral therapy; AIDS; Insulin like growth factor 1; Immune deficiency; Infection; Somatropin; Viral disease; T-Lymphocyte; T-cell restoration; Antiviral; free IGF-I
• ISSN: 0146-6615; 1096-9071
• DOI: 10.1002/jmv.21625

High-dose recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) (2-6 mg/day) regimes may facilitate T-cell restoration in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). However, high-dose rhGH regimens increase insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) to supra-physiological levels associated with severe side effects. The present study investigated whether lower doses of rhGH may improve T-cell restoration in patients infected with HIV following an expedient response of total and bioactive (i.e., free) IGF-I. A previous 16-week pilot-study included six HIV-infected patients on stable HAART to receive rhGH 0.7 mg/day, which increased total (+117%, P < 0.01) and free (+155%, P < 0.01) IGF-I levels. The study was extended to examine whether continuous use of low-dose rhGH (0.7 mg/day until week 60; 0.4 mg/day from week 60 to week 140) would maintain expedient IGF-I levels and improve CD4 T-cell response. Total and free IGF-I increased at week 36 (+97%, P < 0.01 and +125%, P < 0.01, respectively) and week 60 (+77%, P = 0.01 and +125%, P < 0.01) compared to baseline levels (161 ± 15 and 0.75 ± 0.11 μg/L). CD4 T-cell number increased at week 36 (+15%, P < 0.05) and week 60 (+31%, P = 0.01) compared to baseline levels (456 ± 55 cells/μL). Following rhGH dose reduction, total IGF-I and CD4 T-cell number remained increased at week 88 (+44%, P = 0.01 and +33%, P < 0.01) and week 140 (+46%, P = 0.07 and +36%, P = 0.02) compared to baseline levels. These data support the notion that low-dose rhGH regimens may increase expediently total and bioactive IGF-I and improve T-cell restoration in patients infected with HIV on HAART. J. Med. Virol. 82:197-205, 2010.