Fertility and Sterility
Volume 91, Issue 3 , Pages 930.e7-930.e11 , March 2009

The effect of treatment with growth hormone on fertility outcome in eugonadal women with growth hormone deficiency: report of four cases and review of the literature

  • Antonella Giampietro, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, International Scientific Institute “Paolo VI,” Catholic University, Rome, Italy
    • ,
  • Domenico Milardi, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, International Scientific Institute “Paolo VI,” Catholic University, Rome, Italy
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: Domenico Milardi, M.D., Department of Medical Pathology, International Scientific Institute “Paolo VI,” Via Nostra Signora di Lourdes, 33- 00167 Rome, Italy (FAX: 39-0630155205).
    • ,
  • Antonio Bianchi, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Endocrinology, Catholic University, Rome, Italy
    • ,
  • Alessandra Fusco, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Endocrinology, Catholic University, Rome, Italy
    • ,
  • Vincenzo Cimino, M.S.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Endocrinology, Catholic University, Rome, Italy
    • ,
  • Domenico Valle, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Eli Lilly & Co., Florence, Italy
    • ,
  • Riccardo Marana, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, International Scientific Institute “Paolo VI,” Catholic University, Rome, Italy
    • ,
  • Alfredo Pontecorvi, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Endocrinology, Catholic University, Rome, Italy
    • ,
  • Laura De Marinis, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Endocrinology, Catholic University, Rome, Italy

Received 13 April 2008 ,Revised 17 September 2008 ,Accepted 19 September 2008.

References 

  1. Bachelot A, Monget P, Imbert-Bolloré P, Coshigano K, Kopchick JJ, Kelly PA, et al. Growth hormone is required for ovarian follicular growth. Endocrinology. 2002;143:4104–4112
  2. Bartke A. Role of growth hormone and prolactin in the control of reproduction: what are we learning from transgenic and knock-out animals?. Steroids. 1999;64:598–604
  3. de Boer JA, Schoemaker J, van der Veen EA. Impaired reproductive function in women treated for growth hormone deficiency during childhood. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 1997;46:681–689
  4. Homburg R, West C, Torresani T, Jacobs HS. Cotreatment with human growth hormone and gonadotropins for induction of ovulation: a controlled clinical trial. Fertil Steril. 1990;53:254–260
  5. Blumenfeld Z, Amit T, Barkey RJ, Lunenfeld B, Brandes JM. Synergistic effect of growth hormone and gonadotropins in achieving conception in “clonidine-negative” patients with unexplained infertility. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1991;626:250–265
  6. Hull KL, Harvey S. Growth hormone: roles in female reproduction. J Endocrinol. 2001;168:1–23
  7. Xu YP, Chedrese PJ, Thacker PA. Growth hormone as an amplifier of insulin-like growth factor-I action: potentiated oestradiol accumulation. J Endocrinol. 1997;152:201–209
  8. Tapanainen J, Martikainen H, Voutilainen R, Orava M, Ruokonen A, Rönnberg L. Effect of growth hormone administration on human ovarian function and steroidogenic gene expression in granulosa-luteal cells. Fertil Steril. 1992;58:726–732
  9. Barreca A, Artini PG, Del Monte P, Ponzani P, Pasquini P, Cariola G, et al. In vivo and in vitro effect of growth hormone on estradiol secretion by human granulosa cells. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1993;77:61–67
  10. Lanzone A, Di Simone N, Castellani R, Fulghesu AM, Caruso A, Mancuso S. Human growth hormone enhances progesterone production by human luteal cells in vitro: evidence of a synergistic effect with human chorionic gonadotropin. Fertil Steril. 1992;57:92–96
  11. Liu X, Andoh K, Yokota H, Kobayashi J, Abe Y, Yamada K, et al. Effects of growth hormone, activin, and follistatin on the development of preantral follicle from immature female mice. Endocrinology. 1998;139:2342–2347
  12. Quesnel H. Localization of binding sites for IGF-I, insulin and GH in the sow ovary. J Endocrinol. 1999;163:363–372
  13. Chase CC, Kirby CJ, Hammond AC, Olson TA, Lucy MC. Patterns of ovarian growth and development in cattle with a growth hormone receptor deficiency. J Anim Sci. 1998;76:212–219
  14. de Boer JA, van der Meer M, van der Veen EA, Schoemaker J. Growth hormone (GH) substitution in hypogonadotropic, GH-deficient women decreases the follicle-stimulating hormone threshold for monofollicular growth. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1999;84:590–595
  15. Mendoza C, Cremades N, Ruiz-Requena E, Martinez F, Ortega E, Bernabeu S, et al. Relationship between fertilization results after intracytoplasmic sperm injection, and intrafollicular steroid, pituitary hormone and cytokine concentrations. Hum Reprod. 1999;14:628–635
  16. Izadyar F, Hage WJ, Colenbrander B, Bevers MM. The promotory effect of growth hormone on the developmental competence of in vitro matured bovine oocytes is due to improved cytoplasmic maturation. Mol Reprod Dev. 1998;49:444–453
  17. Danilovich NA, Bartke A, Winters TA. Ovarian follicle apoptosis in bovine growth hormone transgenic mice. Biol Reprod. 2000;62:103–107
  18. Politis I, Srikandakumar A, Turner JD, Tsang BK, Ainsworth L, Downey BR. Changes in and partial identification of the plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor systems during ovarian follicular maturation in the pig. Biol Reprod. 1990;43:636–642
  19. Tsilchorozidou T, Conway GS. Uterus size and ovarian morphology in women with isolated growth hormone deficiency, hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism and hypopituitarism. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2004;61:567–572
  20. Homburg R, Ostergard H. Clinical applications of growth hormone for ovarian stimulation. Hum Reprod Update. 1995;1:264–275
  21. Tarlatzis BC, Zepiridis L, Grimbizis G, Bontis J. Clinical management of low ovarian response to stimulation for IVF: a systematic review. Hum Reprod Update. 2003;9:61–76
  22. Overton CE, Davis CJ, West C, Davies MC, Conway GS. High risk pregnancies in hypopituitary women. Hum Reprod. 2002;17:1464–1467
  23. Salle A, Klein M, Pascal-Vigneron V, Dousset B, Leclere J, Weryha G. Successful pregnancy and birth after sequential cotreatment with growth hormone and gonadotropins in a woman with panhypopituitarism: a new treatment protocol. Fertil Steril. 2000;74:1248–1250
  24. Adashi EY, Resnick CE, D'Ercole AJ, Svoboda ME, Van Wyk JJ. Insulin-like growth factors as intraovarian regulators of granulosa cell growth and function. Endocr Rev. 1985;6:400–420
  25. Bergh C, Hillensjö T, Wikland M, Nilsson L, Borg G, Hamberger L. Adjuvant growth hormone treatment during in vitro fertilization: a randomized, placebo-controlled study. Fertil Steril. 1994;62:113–120

 D.V. is an employee and stockholder of Eli Lilly & Co. A.G. has nothing to disclose. D.M. has nothing to disclose. A.B. has nothing to disclose. A.F. has nothing to disclose. V.C. has nothing to disclose. R.M. has nothing to disclose. A.P. has nothing to disclose. L.D. has nothing to disclose.

 This work was supported by grants from the Endocrinologia 33 Onlus.

PII: S0015-0282(08)04056-9

doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.09.065

Fertility and Sterility
Volume 91, Issue 3 , Pages 930.e7-930.e11 , March 2009

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