Sci Rep. 2026 Jun 17. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-57426-0. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
To investigate the association between recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) therapy and ocular biometric and refractive characteristics in Korean children with idiopathic short stature (ISS). This cross-sectional study compared ocular parameters between children receiving rhGH therapy for ISS (GH group) and age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Comprehensive ophthalmologic assessments were performed, including axial length (AL), spherical equivalent refraction (SER), peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL), and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GC-IPL) thickness. The GH group showed significantly more myopic SER than controls (-1.68 ± 1.68 D vs. – 1.15 ± 1.17D, p = 0.048). Although mean AL was slightly longer in the GH group, the difference was not statistically significant (23.65 ± 1.10 mm vs. 23.43 ± 0.98 mm, p = 0.290). Sectoral pRNFL analysis revealed temporal thickening (p < 0.001) in the GH group. In multivariable analyses within the GH group, longer treatment duration was significantly associated with more myopic SER (P = 0.009). Although treatment duration was also associated with longer AL in the primary model (P = 0.041), this association became attenuated after exclusion of age from the model (P = 0.249). Exploratory analyses additionally demonstrated significant associations between thinner GC-IPL thickness and both more myopic SER (P = 0.010) and longer AL (P = 0.029) in the GH group. RhGH therapy in children with ISS was associated with more myopic refraction and distinct ocular structural characteristics in this cross-sectional analysis. The association between longer rhGH treatment duration and more myopic SER may suggest a possible relationship between prolonged rhGH exposure and refractive status. These findings should be interpreted cautiously, and further longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the long-term relationship between rhGH exposure and ocular growth.
PMID:42310355 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-57426-0
