Growth Hormone Therapy for Muscle Regeneration in Severely Burned Patients

The investigators have previously demonstrated that burn injury causes severe muscle wasting, weight and height retardation, and systemic protein catabolism in pediatric and adult burned patients. The persistent loss of muscle impairs the quality of life of the burned patients, and it also delays autonomy and reintegration into the community. In 2009, the investigators showed that the daily injection of recombinant human growth hormone (GH) for nine months post discharge significantly increased height and weight, as well as lean body mass, in pediatric burned subjects. Our long-term goal is to improve the quality of life of burn patients by preventing height, weight, and muscle loss that may occur from severe protein catabolism. The objectives of this application are to a) attenuate height and weight in burned patients with the administration of GH, b) prevent or reverse loss of muscle and strength in these patients, and c) collect pilot data about cardiopulmonary parameters, scar assessments, and muscle metabolism. Our central hypothesis is that the administration of GH will restore depleted levels of growth hormone and will lead to prevention of lean body mass loss and bone mineral content, improve rehabilitation, and accelerate reintegration of severely burned patients. The investigators will administer either placebo or GH (daily subcutaneous injections of 0.05 mg/kg/day of GH \[somatropin, Genotropin, Pfizer, New York, NY\] to adult burn subjects (n=31 per group, 18-85 years, \>30% total body surface burns) for nine months beginning one week prior to discharge. Both groups will be studied for a total of two years. The following aims will be tested: 1) determine the effects of GH supplementation on body composition, such as lean body mass loss, muscle strength, and exercise endurance; and 2) assess whether rehabilitation and subsequent reintegration of severely burned patients into society can be accelerated. Investigators will measure changes in lean body mass,