XLH or X-Linked hypophosphatemia, also known as hypophosphatemic rickets or vitamin D resistant rickets is a rare form of rickets where the ingestion of vitamin D proves ineffective. The usual treatment for rickets is to reintroduce a healthy supply of vitamin D, but this apparently does not work for individuals with XLH. This disease impairs calcium mineralization, and calcium is an important component in bone and teeth development. Children with poor bone mineralization often exhibit poor physical growth and are susceptible to spontaneous dental abscesses. XLH also leads to renal (kidney) phosphate wasting which ultimately destroys the tissues of both kidneys. Other symptoms of XLH include: consistent and regular bouts of bone pain, enthesopathy (pain in the tendons or joints,) lower extremity deformity, osteomalacia and rickets (softening of the bones in adults and children, respectively) and short stature.
Although reintroducing dosages of human growth hormones as treatment for the height problem is now being prescribed, researchers are also looking at the possibility of this protein hormone for the treatment of the other symptoms of XLH.
Human growth hormone helps in the development of bone and muscle tissues. It often acts as a form of linear growth booster and as an aid for the regeneration of damaged and / or stunted cell tissues. Since XLH usually attacks the calcium deposits in the bone, the hormones help "knit" back the damaged cells so that the process of mineralization proceeds faster than the destructive onslaught of the disease. When bones are healing nicely, and allowed the breathing space to expand, the child afflicted with XLH shows signs of linear or height growth. It should be noted though, that height growth varies from one individual to the other, depending on the genes, the progression of the disease, the age of the individual, and a host of other variables.
Calcium mineralization is also important in maintaining the welfare of the teeth. As evidenced by the lack of mineralization, teeth abscesses usually form in the mucosal orifice of a person with XLH. Human growth hormone treatments help in speeding up the calcification of teeth, plus the healing process of the body itself. Studies have shown that with human growth hormone treatments, some individuals with XLH have experienced less incidence of mucosal infection in the form of abscess. In some cases, untreated patients take longer periods of time before the abscesses heal, as compared to the 1 to 2 weeks healing time of people taking regular dosages of the protein hormone.
Incredibly, some researchers are now saying that human growth hormone treatments help lessens the bodily pains that most patients with XLH endure on a daily basis. This doesn't mean that this form of treatment is being prescribes as a temporary pain-reliever. Rather, researchers are looking at the long-term advantages of the growth hormones. They reason that by helping strengthen and heal the bones, joints and tendons in the body, the persistent bone pain will eventually go away.
