Description
The response to growth hormone in humans is dependent on phenotypic, genetic and environmental factors. The present study in children with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) collected worldwide characterised gene-environment interactions on growth response to recombinant human growth hormone (r-hGH). Growth responses in children are linked to latitude, and we found that a correlation of latitude, summer daylight exposure (SDE) was a key environmental factor related to growth response to r-hGH. In turn growth response was determined by an interaction between both SDE and genes known to affect growth response to r-hGH. In addition analysis of associated networks of gene expression implicated a role for circadian clock pathways and specifically the developmental transcription factor NANOG. This work provides the first observation of gene-environment interactions in children treated with r-hGH.