Final height in children with idiopathic growth hormone deficiency treated with recombinant human growth hormone: the Belgian experience.
BACKGROUND
The growth response to recombinant hGH (rhGH) treatment and final height of 61 Belgian children (32 boys) with idiopathic growth hormone deficiency (GHD) were studied.


METHODS
Two patient groups were compared: Group 1 with spontaneous puberty (n = 49), Group 2 with induced puberty (n = 12). The patients were treated with daily subcutaneous injections of rhGH in a dose of 0.5-0.7 IU/kg/week (0.17-0.23 mg/kg/week) from the mean +/- SD age of 11.9 +/- 3.1 years during 5.1 +/- 2.1 years.


RESULTS
rhGH treatment induced a doubling of the height velocity during the first year and resulted in a normalisation of height in 53 (87%) patients. Final height was -0.7 +/- 1.1 SDS, being 170.4 +/- 7.2 cm in boys and 158.0 +/- 6.4 cm in girls. Corrected for mid-parental height, final height was 0.0 +/- 1.1 SDS. Ninety-two percent of the patients attained an adult height within the genetically determined target height range. Although height gain during puberty was smaller in the patients with induced puberty (boys: 17.1 +/- 7.0 cm vs. 27.5 +/- 6.6 cm (p < 0.005); girls: 9.6 +/- 7.4 cm vs. 22.2 +/- 6.1 cm (p < 0.005)), no differences in final height after adjustment for mid-parental height were found between patients with spontaneous or induced puberty.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that patients with idiopathic GHD treated with rhGH administered as daily subcutaneous injections in a dose of 0.5-0.7 IU/kg/week reach their genetic growth potential, resulting in a normalisation of height in the majority of them, irrespective of spontaneous or induced puberty.
Thomas
M
M
The Belgian Study Group for Paediatric Endocrinology, and Department of Paediatrics, Universities of Liège, Belgium.
Massa
G
G
Bourguignon
J P
JP
Craen
M
M
De Schepper
J
J
de Zegher
F
F
Dooms
L
L
Du Caju
M
M
François
I
I
Heinrichs
C
C
Malvaux
P
P
Rooman
R
R
Thiry-Counson
G
G
Vandeweghe
M
M
Maes
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D001530:Belgium; D001724:Birth Weight; D001827:Body Height; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011627:Puberty
D019382:Human Growth Hormone