Human growth hormone and glutamine for patients with short bowel syndrome

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Human growth hormone and glutamine for patients with short bowel syndrome

Wales et al., 2010 | Cochrane Database Syst Rev | Systematic Review

Citation

Wales Paul W, Nasr Ahmed, ... Yamada Janet. Human growth hormone and glutamine for patients with short bowel syndrome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010-Jun-16;2010(6):CD006321. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD006321.pub2

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There has been clinical enthusiasm for treating short bowel patients with human recombinant growth hormone and/or glutamine in hopes of reducing parenteral nutrition dependency. It has been more than a decade since Byrne and colleagues reported enhanced absorption of nutrients, improved weight gain, and reduction in parenteral nutrition requirements with the administration of a combination of human growth hormone (HGH) and glutamine in patients with short bowel syndrome. Other studies have reported inconsistent results. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the efficacy of growth hormone with or without glutamine supplementation for adult patients with short bowel syndrome. SEARCH STRATEGY: Electronic searches were performed to identify all publications describing randomised controlled trials of the use of human growth hormone with or without glutamine for the treatment of patients with short bowel syndrome. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials of human growth hormone with or without glutamine for patients with short bowel syndrome were considered for inclusion. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two authors independently extracted data from the published studies. The statistical analyses were performed using RevMan 5 software. Follmann's method was used for cross-over studies. MAIN RESULTS: Five studies were included in the review. Human growth hormone with or without glutamine appears to provide benefit in terms of increased weight (MD 1.66 Kg; 95% CI 0.69 to 2.63;P = 0.0008), lean body mass (MD 1.93 Kg; 95% CI 0.97 to 2.90; P = 0.0001) energy absorption (MD 4.42 Kcal; 95% CI 0.26 to 8.58; P = 0.04) and nitrogen absorption (MD 44.85 g; 95%CI 0.20 to 9.49; P = 0.04) for patients with short bowel syndrome. The single RCT that focused on parenteral nutrition (PN) requirements demonstrated decreased PN volume and calories and number of infusions in patients who received HGH with or without glutamine supplementation. Only patients who received HGH with glutamine maintained statistically significant PN reductions at 3 month follow-up. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest a positive effect of human growth hormone on weight gain and energy absorption. However, in the majority of trials, the effects are short-lived returning to baseline shortly after cessation of therapy. The temporary benefit calls into question the clinical utility of this treatment. To date, the evidence is inconclusive to recommend this therapy. Consideration should be made to studying patients during the active phase of intestinal adaptation rather than in the setting of chronic intestinal failure. The role of HGH in paediatric short bowel syndrome remains unknown.

Key Findings

Five studies were included in the review. Human growth hormone with or without glutamine appears to provide benefit in terms of increased weight (MD 1.66 Kg; 95% CI 0.69 to 2.63;P = 0.0008), lean body mass (MD 1.93 Kg; 95% CI 0.97 to 2.90; P = 0.0001) energy absorption (MD 4.42 Kcal; 95% CI 0.26 to 8.58; P = 0.04) and nitrogen absorption (MD 44.85 g; 95%CI 0.20 to 9.49; P = 0.04) for patients with short bowel syndrome. The single RCT that focused on parenteral nutrition (PN) requirements demonst

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population human recombinant growth hormone
Sample Size See abstract
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Adult
  • Child
  • Glutamine
  • Human Growth Hormone
  • Humans
  • Intestinal Absorption
  • Nutritional Requirements
  • Parenteral Nutrition
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Short Bowel Syndrome
  • Weight Gain

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Systematic Review
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Systematic Review
  • Vertical: cochrane-amino-acids

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09