title: Effects of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analog-induced pubertal delay in growth hormone (GH)-deficient children treated with GH: preliminary results.
abstract: To study the effect of delaying epiphyseal fusion on the growth of GH-deficient children, we studied 14 pubertal, treatment naive, GH-deficient patients (6 girls and 8 boys) in a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Chronological age was 14.5 +/- 0.5 yr, and bone age was 11.6 +/- 0.3 yr (mean +/- SEM) at the beginning of the study. Patients were assigned randomly to receive GH and LH-releasing hormone (LHRH) analog (n = 8) or GH and placebo (n = 6) during 3 yr, with planned continuation of GH treatment until epiphyseal fusion. Patients were measured with a stadiometer and had serum LHRH tests, serum testosterone (boys), serum estradiol (girls), and bone age performed every 6 months. Patients treated with GH and LHRH analog showed a clear suppression of their pituitary-gonadal axis and a marked delay in bone age progression. We observed a greater gain in height prediction in these patients than in the patients treated with GH and placebo after 3 yr of treatment (mean +/- SEM, 14.0 +/- 1.6 vs. 8.0 +/- 2.4 cm; P < 0.05). These preliminary findings suggest that delaying epiphyseal fusion with LHRH analog in pubertal GH-deficient children treated with GH increases height prediction and may increase final height compared to treatment with GH alone.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Maternal and Child Research, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cassorla
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mericq
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eggers
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Avila
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fuentes
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Cutler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent / Q000502:physiology; D000365:Age Determination by Skeleton; D001827:Body Height / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D006128:Growth / Q000187:drug effects; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011627:Puberty / Q000187:drug effects*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone