NESGAS

The NorthEuropean SGA Study - NESGAS

2012 -

Background

Ten percent of children born short for gestational age (SGA) do not show spontaneous catch-up growth and GH is a registered indication to treat these children to improve adult height.

Aims and Study Design

Optimal dose and duration of GH therapy for children born short for gestational age are not evident. Consequently, NESGAS was initiaited as a randomised clinical trial. Short pre-pubertal children born SGA were randomised after 1 year of high-dose GH treatment to three different regimens: high dose, low dose, or GH dose adjusted by IGF1 titration.

The Research Team

NESGAS is a multi-center collaboration of EDMaRC / Dept. of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet; Dept. of Pediatrics, Addenbrooke's Hospital; Dept. of Pediatrics, the National Children's Hospital, University of Dublin; Dept. of Endocrinology, Birmingham Children's Hospital; Dept. of Endocrinology, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow; Dept.of Clinical Sciences, University of Lund; Pediatric Endocrinology Unit, Karolinska Institutet .

Funding

NESGAS received an unrestricted grant from Novo Nordisk A/S

Publications

Wegmann MG, Jensen RB, Thankamony A, Frystyk J, Roche E, Hoey H, Kirk J, Shaikh G, Ivarsson SA, Söder O, Dunger DB, Juul A. Increases in Bioactive IGF do not Parallel Increases in Total IGF-I During Growth Hormone Treatment of Children Born SGA. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2020 Apr 1;105(4):dgz118.

Wegmann MG, Thankamony A, Roche E, Hoey H, Kirk J, Shaikh G, Ivarsson SA, Söder O, Dunger DB, Juul A, Jensen RB. The exon3-deleted growth hormone receptor gene polymorphism (d3-GHR) is associated with insulin and spontaneous growth in short SGA children (NESGAS). Growth Horm IGF Res. 2017 Aug;35:45-51. doi: 10.1016/j.ghir.2017.07.001.

Thankamony A, Jensen RB, O'Connell SM, Day F, Kirk J, Donaldson M, Ivarsson SA, Söder O, Roche E, Hoey H, Ong KK, Dunger DB, Juul A.Adiposity in Children Born Small for Gestational Age Is Associated With β-Cell Function, Genetic Variants for Insulin Resistance, and Response to Growth Hormone Treatment. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2016 Jan;101(1):131-42.

Upners EN, Raket LL, Petersen JH, Thankamony A, Roche E, Shaikh G, Kirk J, Hoey H, Ivarsson SA, Söder O, Juul A, Jensen RB. Timing of Puberty, Pubertal Growth, and Adult Height

Jensen RB, Thankamony A, Day F, Scott RA, Langenberg C, Kirk J, Donaldson M, Ivarsson SA, Söder O, Roche E, Hoey H, Juul A, Ong KK, Dunger DB. Genetic markers of insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion are associated with spontaneous postnatal growth and response to growth hormone treatment in short SGA children: the North European SGA Study (NESGAS). J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2015 Mar;100(3):E503-7. doi: 10.1210/jc.2014-3469. Epub 2014 Dec 12. PMID: 25494864.

Tinggaard J, Jensen RB, Sundberg K, Birkebæk N, Christiansen P, Ellermann A, Holm K, Jeppesen EM, Kremke B, Marcinski P, Pedersen C, Saurbrey N, Thisted E, Main KM, Juul A. Ovarian morphology and function during growth hormone therapy

of short girls born small for gestational age. Fertil Steril. 2014 Dec;102(6):1733-41. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2014.09.014.

Jensen RB, Thankamony A, O'Connell SM, Kirk J, Donaldson M, Ivarsson SA, Söder O, Roche E, Hoey H, Dunger DB, Juul A. A randomised controlled trial evaluating IGF1 titration in contrast to current GH dosing strategies in children born small for gestational age: the North European Small-for- Gestational-Age Study. Eur J Endocrinol. 2014 Oct;171(4):509-18. doi:10.1530/EJE-14-0419.

Jensen RB, Thankamony A, O'Connell SM, Salgin B, Kirk J, Donaldson M, Ivarsson SA, Söder O, Roche E, Hoey H, Dunger DB, Juul A; NESGAS Group. Baseline IGF-I levels determine insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity during the first year on growth hormone therapy in children born small for gestational age. Results from a North European Multicentre Study (NESGAS). Horm Res Paediatr. 2013;80(1):38-46. doi: 10.1159/000353438.

Key EDMaRC researcher in the project:

Anders Juul
MDSc, Professor
Principal Investigator