Question
Human Growth Hormone (rHGH), viral load and CD4 count
14 March 2006. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load.
Does recombinant Human Growth Hormone (rHGH) affect viral load or CD4 counts?
Answer
In most studies, recombinant Human Growth Hormone (rHGH) has not been shown to affect viral load, or CD4 or CD8 counts.
rHGH is licensed in the US to treat HIV-related wasting. It generates muscle growth, especially when used with exercise. Because rHGH has an anabolic effect that increases lean muscle and reduces fat, is also been studied to see if it helps reduce fat accumulation from ARV-related lipodystrophy. Increases in lean muscle have been shown with testosterone, exercise and other anabolic steroids (such nandrolone) that are all far less expensive than marketed rHGH.
However, a poster presented at the 13th Retrovirus Conference in February 2006, from the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. 12 patients were given 4mg/day of rHGH in addition to ARV therapy for 12 weeks, and then randomised to three groups: placebo, twice weekly rHGH or alternate day rHGH, all with continued ARVs, for a further 12 weeks. The researcher reported 48 week results (for the final 24 weeks all patients used ARV treatment only) that although CD4 and CD8 counts were unchanged, cell maturation and differentiation were significantly improved. The clinical benefits from this are not clear.
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