Progressive Impairment of Prepubertal Growth in Children With Autoimmune Polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal Dystrophy (APECED)
Authors' conclusion
Children with APECED had a progressive growth impairment from birth through prepuberty. Multiple predisposing risk factors were recognized, including disease severity and growth hormone deficiency. Timely interventions are needed to ensure optimal height attainment and new treatment options need to be developed.
Study context
- Population
- Children with APECED from the Finnish national APECED cohort; 30 (51%) girls
- Participants
- 59 children
- Outcome
- Growth patterns: length/height and weight z-scores
- Follow-up
- Birth to end of prepuberty
Methodological detailsnational cohort
- National cohort
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Height z-score at end of prepuberty (progressive decline from birth)
−1.95
Weight-for-height z-score at end of prepuberty (no decline)
+0.26
All height z-scores below 0 during prepuberty
38
64%
Height z-scores below −2.0
7
12%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Birth size · median birth
- Median birth weight z-score (below population average)
- −0.60
- Born SGA
- 12 (20%)
Factors correlating negatively with height z-score at end of prepuberty
- Age at end of prepuberty
- P < 0.0001
- Number of APECED manifestations
- P = 0.041
- Duration of glucocorticoid treatment
- P = 0.013
- GHD
- P = 0.034
Original publication
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