Biological Age in Children With GH Deficiency Undergoing Hormone Replacement Therapy
The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the epigenetic age in children with GH deficiency, before and after 6 months of treatment with growth hormone replacement therapy. The secondary objective is to correlate the epigenetic age with the auxometric and biochemical parameters used in the clinical-endocrinological practice. The results of the study will be useful to set up the clinical and biochemical follow-up of the hormone replacement therapy with rhGH and to understand the biomolecular mechanisms at the base of the debated "anti" or "pro" aging action of GH, the most important anabolic hormone of the human organism.
- EligibilityCriteria: Inclusion Criteria:  children of both sexes age 5-15 years affected by isolated GH deficiency according to the criteria provided by note 39 AIFA for this pathology (short stature: ≤ -3 DS or ≤ -2 DS; growth rate/year ≤ -1.0 DS per age and sex evaluated at a distance of at least six months; GH peak at two different pharmacological stimulation tests < 8 ng/ml).  Exclusion Criteria:  - presence of organic hypothalamic-pituitary pathologies (diagnosed through encephalic NMR). - HealthyVolunteers: No - Gender: All - MinimumAge: 5 Years - MaximumAge: 15 Years - StdAgeList: Child - StudyPopulation: Children with isolated growth hormone deficiency - SamplingMethod: Probability Sample