Does growth-hormone supplementation affect adult height in Turner's syndrome?
BACKGROUND
By comparison with historical controls, the effect of treatment with growth hormone on adult height in Turner's syndrome was initially reported as uniformly and strongly positive. Because randomised controlled trials are not near completion, we report our experiences in an open study.


METHODS
We examined adult height, projected and attained, in 31 patients (17 treated with subcutaneous recombinant human growth hormone, up to 15 mg a week, outside of a controlled trial and 14 untreated contemporaries).


RESULTS
Contingency table analysis of attained versus projected height showed significantly higher values in treated patients although only 4 of 17 had final heights of 5 cm or more over projection. Patients' and treatment variables (height, bone-age delay, oestrogen replacement) that interfere with adult height projection confounded the analysis of adult height data.


CONCLUSIONS
Girls with Turner's syndrome should be counselled cautiously about the expectation of a strongly positive effect of treatment on adult height. Completion of the randomised controlled trials to adult height is needed to establish the effect of growth-hormone supplementation on adult height in Turner's syndrome and the psychological effect of treatment.
Taback
S P
SP
Endocrinology Services, Montréal Children's Hospital, Canada.
Collu
R
R
Deal
C L
CL
Guyda
H J
HJ
Salisbury
S
S
Dean
H J
HJ
Van Vliet
G
G
D000328:Adult; D001827:Body Height / Q000187:drug effects*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014424:Turner Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy*
D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013006:Growth Hormone