GHRH-GH-IGF1 axis in pediatric Down syndrome: A systematic review and mini meta-analysis

David Shaki; Eli Hershkovitz; Shai Tamam; Arkadi Bollotin; Odeya David; Guy Yalovitsky; Neta Loewenthal; Lior Carmon; Dganit Walker; Alon Haim

doi:10.3389/fped.2023.1132296

GHRH-GH-IGF1 axis in pediatric Down syndrome: A systematic review and mini meta-analysis

Front Pediatr. 2023 Feb 22:11:1132296. doi: 10.3389/fped.2023.1132296. eCollection 2023.

Authors

David Shaki^{1

2}, Eli Hershkovitz^{1

2}, Shai Tamam³, Arkadi Bollotin², Odeya David^{1

2}, Guy Yalovitsky², Neta Loewenthal^{1

2}, Lior Carmon^{1

2}, Dganit Walker¹, Alon Haim^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Pediatric Endocrinology Unit, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer Sheva, Israel.
² Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel.
³ Library of Life Sciences and Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.

Abstract

Objective: To analyze and determine the quality of functioning in different components of GHRH-GH-IGF1 axis in children with Down syndrome (DS).

Design: Systematic review and mini meta-analysis of the literature.

Methods: A search was performed in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and PsycINFO through August 2022. Eligible studies included pediatric patients with DS who had undergone any laboratory evaluation of the GHRH-GH-IGF1 axis. Two reviewers independently screened articles for eligibility. Results of each type of test were weighed together in patients both with and without DS and were pooled using a random effects meta-analysis.

Results: In total, 20 studies assessed the GHRH-GH-IGF1 axis function. A defect in three major components of GHRH-GH-IGF1 axis was found in a significant proportion of pediatric DS patients.

Conclusions: A significant portion of short-stature pathogenesis in children with DS is associated with impaired GHRH-GH-IGF1 axis function.

Keywords: Down syndrome; IGF1; bio-inactive GH; growth hormone; hypothalamus; neurosecretory dysfunction.