{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,6]],"date-time":"2025-12-06T17:15:53Z","timestamp":1765041353858,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,11,28]],"date-time":"2022-11-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1669593600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Children"],"abstract":"<jats:p>COVID-19 is a worldwide pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, to which adults are usually more susceptible than children. Growth hormone (GH) levels differ between children and adults and decrease with age. There is bidirectional crosstalk between the GH\/insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) pathway and the immune system that plays a significant role in SARS-CoV-2 infection. We evaluated the association between somatotropin treatment (GH replacement therapy) and the risk for SARS-CoV-2 positivity (a marker for COVID-19 infection) in children with growth hormone issues (GHI): growth hormone deficiency (GHD) and idiopathic short stature (ISS). A population-based cross-sectional study in Leumit Health Services (LHS) was performed using the electronic health record (EHR) database. The rates of SARS-CoV-2 positivity were evaluated among children with GHI, treated or untreated with somatotropin. Higher rates of SARS-CoV-2 positivity were found in GHI children, influenced by the same confounders reported in the pediatric population. A lower prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity was found among the somatotropin-treated children. A multivariate analysis documented that somatotropin treatment was associated with a reduced risk of SARS-CoV-2 positivity (Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.47, Confidence Interval (CI) 0.24\u20130.94, p = 0.032). Thus, somatotropin might be a protective factor against SARS-CoV-2 infections, possibly related to its immunomodulatory activity.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/children9121844","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,11,28]],"date-time":"2022-11-28T07:38:49Z","timestamp":1669621129000},"page":"1844","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["The Association between Somatotropin Therapy and the Risk of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Children with Short Stature: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"9","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9009-7843","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gherta","family":"Brill","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Pediatric Endocrinology Unit, Leumit Health Services, Tel-Aviv 6473817, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Iris","family":"Manor","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ADHD Unit, Geha Mental Health Center, Clalit Health Services, Petah Tikva 49100, Israel"},{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Roberta","family":"Bril Paroz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7244-0679","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Shai","family":"Ashkenazi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Adelson School of Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel 4077625, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Shira","family":"Cohen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ADHD Unit, Geha Mental Health Center, Clalit Health Services, Petah Tikva 49100, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Avivit","family":"Golan-Cohen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Family Medicine, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel"},{"name":"Leumit Health Services, Medical Division, Tel Aviv 6473817, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9435-7152","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ilan","family":"Green","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Family Medicine, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel"},{"name":"Leumit Health Services, Medical Division, Tel Aviv 6473817, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4389-8896","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ariel","family":"Israel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Family Medicine, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel"},{"name":"Leumit Health Services, Medical Division, Tel Aviv 6473817, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Shlomo","family":"Vinker","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Family Medicine, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel"},{"name":"Leumit Health Services, Medical Division, Tel Aviv 6473817, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9765-8938","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Abraham","family":"Weizman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ADHD Unit, Geha Mental Health Center, Clalit Health Services, Petah Tikva 49100, Israel"},{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Eugene","family":"Merzon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Adelson School of Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel 4077625, Israel"},{"name":"Leumit Health Services, Medical Division, Tel Aviv 6473817, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,11,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"World Health Organization (WHO) (2021, December 08). 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