Serum levels of somatomedin A and growth during long-term treatment of patients with pituitary dwarfism with human growth hormone.
Eighteen patients with pituitary dwarfism were treated for 1 7/12 to 6 years with human growth hormone (hGH) at a dose of 0.19--0.62 unit (U) per kg of body weight per week. The mean increment in height was 2.0 +/- 0.4 and 8.8 +/- 0.5 cm/year before and the first year after treatment of hGH, respectively. A significant positive correlation was observed between serum levels of somatomedin A and growth rate, espcially in children with bone age below 10 and a duration of treatment of less than one year (r = 0.66, P less than 0.005). Long-term treatment with hGH was accompanied by a decreasing response. However, the serum levels of somatomedin A did not decrease significantly. Therefore, decreased growth increment in these situations was not due to decreased serum levels of somatomedin A.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000365:Age Determination by Skeleton; D001827:Body Height / Q000187:drug effects; D002648:Child; D004393:Dwarfism, Pituitary / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D013002:Somatomedins / Q000097:blood*; D013997:Time Factors
D013002:Somatomedins; D013006:Growth Hormone