Growth factor therapy not advised for AIDS patients
Waters D, Schade D. Recombinant human growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor 1, and combination therapy in AIDS-associated wasting: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Ann Intern Med 1996; 125:865-872.
These researchers evaluated the use of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH), recombinant human insulin-like growth factor one (rhIGF-1), or both to increase lean body mass and improve health status in patients with wasting associated with AIDS.
The randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled trial included 60 patients divided into four groups of 15 patients each. Group one received 1.4 mg of rhGH once daily plus placebo twice daily. Group two received 5 mg of rhIGH-1 twice daily, plus placebo once daily. Group three received 5 mg of rhIGH-1 twice daily plus 1.4 mg of rhGH once daily, and group four received placebo three times daily.
Body weight, composition, muscle strength, immune status, and other factors were assessed at baseline and at six and 12 weeks.
At six weeks, lean body mass had increased, and total fat mass had decreased in the groups that received rhGH, rhIGH-1, or both. Group three had the greatest changes in lean body mass, and only in that group were changes in body mass maintained at 12 weeks. Only patients in group one displayed improvement in muscle strength of the knees and upper body and quality of life. Immunologic function didn’t improve in any of the groups.
"Growth factor therapy had significantly increased lean body mass and decreased fat mass by six weeks, but these improvements persisted for 12 weeks only in group three," the investigators conclude. "Growth factor therapy at the dosages used in this study is not recommended because the magnitude of weight gain was modest, and improvements in quality-of-life measures varied."
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