title: Comparison of growth hormone releasing hormone therapy and growth hormone therapy in growth hormone deficiency.
abstract: Seven children with growth hormone deficiency of hypothalamic origin responded to an i.v. bolus of growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) (1-29)-NH2 with a mean serum increase of 10.7 ng/ml growth hormone (GH) (range 2.5-29.3 ng/ml). Continuous s.c. administration of GHRH of 4-6 micrograms/kg twice daily for at least 6 months did not improve the growth rate in five of the patients. One patient increased his growth rate from 1.9 to 3.8 cm/year and another from 3.5 to 8.2 cm/year; however, the growth rate of the latter patient then decreased to 5.4 cm/year. When treatment was changed to recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) in a dose of 2 U/m2 daily, given s.c. at bedtime, the growth rate improved in all patients to a mean of 8.5 cm/year (range: 6.2 to 14.6). Presently GHRH cannot be recommended for the routine therapy of children with growth hormone deficiency since a single daily dose of rhGH produced catch-up growth which GHRH therapy did not.
authors.affiliation: Dr. von Haunersches Kinderspital der Universität, München, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Butenandt
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Staudt
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006128:Growth / Q000187:drug effects; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D017337:Sermorelin
chemical_list: D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D017337:Sermorelin; D013006:Growth Hormone; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone