Growth hormone and hematopoiesis: A retrospective analysis on a large cohort of children with growth hormone deficiency

Objective: Few large-scale studies regarding the impact of GH deficiency (GHD) on hematopoiesis in children have been reported. Our aim was to investigate hematopoiesis indices in a large cohort of GHD children at diagnosis and during GH treatment (GHT) and any correlation with hormonal parameters. Design: Clinical and biochemical data of children with idiopathic GHD at diagnosis and annually up to 36 months of GHT were retrospectively evaluated. Overall, 255 children reached 12 months, 140 children 24 months and 86 children 36 months of follow-up during GHT. Results: At baseline, 18.4% of GHD children and 10.1% of controls showed normocytic anemia. GHD children showed lower hemoglobin (Hb)…