Hypertriglyceridemia and younger age are associated with effectiveness of growth hormone therapy on hepatic steatosis

Adult growth hormone deficiency (AGHD) is often accompanied with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Although some studies reported that MASLD is ameliorated by growth hormone replacement therapy (GHRT), the characteristics of AGHD that are associated with an improvement of hepatic steatosis by GHRT remain unknown. We aimed to investigate whether GHRT affects hepatic lipid accumulation as well as biochemical parameters, and investigated the association between these parameters (UMIN000044989). Thirty people with AGHD were recruited, and assigned to either the GHRT group or the non-GHRT group. Serum laboratory data were analyzed before and after GHRT. Hepatic lipid content was evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging-proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF). Correlations between MRI-PDFF and other clinical parameters were investigated. Twenty-nine people completed this study (19 in the GHRT group and 10 in the non-GHRT group). In the GHRT group, significant decreases in MRI-PDFF and serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase were observed after the treatment. The decrease in MRI-PDFF levels after GHRT significantly correlated with initial MRI-PDFF, triglyceride (TG), lactate dehydrogenase, and ALT levels, and age. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that younger age and high serum TG levels were independent predictors of a decrease in MRI-PDFF levels. GHRT in people with AGHD significantly reduced lipid accumulation in the liver on MRI, and improved serum liver parameters. Age and serum TG levels were found to be associated with the effectiveness of GHRT.