Improved growth response to GH treatment in irradiated children.
The growth response to two years of GH treatment was studied in fifteen children after radiotherapy for a cranial tumor. The growth response was compared to that of short children (-2 SD) and that of children with idiopathic growth hormone deficiency (GHD) of similar ages. All children were treated with hGH 0.1 IU/kg/day s.c.; which is a higher dose and frequency than previously reported for irradiated children. On this protocol the growth rate increased 5.0 +/- 0.5 cm/y (mean +/- SEM) the first year and 3.8 +/- 0.7 cm/y the second year compared to the growth rate the year before GH-treatment. Although the net gain in growth was higher than previously reported, the first year growth response was significantly reduced (p less than 0.05) compared to that of GHD-children (7.6 +/- 0.5 cm/y) but exceeded (p less than 0.05) that of short children (3.4 +/- 0.3 cm/y). The median spontaneous 24 h-GH secretion was 209 mU/l in the short children, 52 mU/l in the irradiated children and 16 mU/l in the idiopathic GHD children. Thus the growth increment varied inversely to the spontaneous GH secretion observed in the three groups.
Lannering
B
B
Department of Pediatrics I, Gothenburg University, Göteborg, Sweden.
Albertsson-Wikland
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D001827:Body Height / Q000187:drug effects*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002648:Child; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans
D013006:Growth Hormone