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Growth retardation in pediatric Crohnʼs disease

2007; Oxford University Press; Volume: 13; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1002/ibd.20115

1536-4844

Raanan Shamir, Moshe Phillip, Arie Levine,

Autoimmune and Inflammatory Disorders Research

Growth retardation (GR) may pose a significant challenge to the quality of life and the proper management of children and adolescents with Crohn's disease (CD). It can occur in a significant proportion of patients, and may precede clinical evidence of bowel disease. Current evidence suggests that GR is a complex interaction between nutritional status, inflammation, disease severity, and genotype, which causes resistance to the effects of growth hormone. Recent research has identified a key role for the inflammatory cytokines TNF alpha, IL-6, and IL1 beta. This review summarizes current knowledge as well as gaps in our understanding of the mechanisms involved and the usefulness of the different treatment modalities in promoting growth in CD patients.