Beschreibung:
<jats:title>Summary</jats:title><jats:p><jats:bold>Context </jats:bold> The Transcription factor 7‐like 2 (<jats:italic>TCF7L2</jats:italic>) rs7903146 gene polymorphism has been associated with risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), possibly by decreasing insulin secretion. Small for gestational age (SGA) birth has been associated with type 2 DM in later life. Growth hormone (GH) treatment reduces insulin sensitivity and increases insulin secretion. Therefore, GH‐treated SGA children are an ideal group to investigate whether the <jats:italic>TCF7L2</jats:italic> rs7903146 genotype is associated with changes in glucose homeostasis.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Objective </jats:bold> To determine the impact of the <jats:italic>TCF7L2</jats:italic> rs7903146 polymorphism on changes in insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity during 4 years of GH treatment in children born SGA.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Subjects </jats:bold> A total of 246 Caucasian short children born SGA, with a median age of 7·8 years.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Outcome measures </jats:bold> Insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion were measured by the frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (FSIGT) (<jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 68) and homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) calculations (all).</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Results </jats:bold> There was no association between rs7903146 genotype and insulin sensitivity or insulin secretion at baseline but after adjustment for possible confounders, insulin secretion was higher in the CT/TT group than in the CC group. During GH treatment, carriers of the rs7903146 T allele had an increase in insulin secretion similar to that of carriers of the CC genotype. The decrease in insulin sensitivity was only significant in the CT/TT group, but the difference in decrease between genotype groups did not reach significance (<jats:italic>P</jats:italic> = 0·06). The disposition index (insulin secretion × insulin sensitivity), which is an estimate of beta cell function, was not associated with genotype and did not change during GH treatment.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Conclusion </jats:bold> The <jats:italic>TCF7L2</jats:italic> rs7903146 polymorphism is not associated with the change in insulin secretion during GH treatment in short SGA children.</jats:p>