title: Outcome of growth hormone therapy in children with growth hormone deficiency showing an inadequate response to growth hormone-releasing hormone.
abstract: Saizen (recombinant growth hormone [GH]), 0.2 mg/(kg x wk), was given in an open-label fashion for an average of 51 mo to 27 children with presumed idiopathic GH deficiency who had withdrawn from a trial of Geref (recombinant GH-releasing hormone [GHRH] 1-29) because of inadequate height velocity (HV) (25 children), the onset of puberty (1 child), or injection site reactions (1 child). Measurements were made every 3-12 mo of a number of auxologic variables, including HV, height standard deviation score, and bone age. The children in the study showed excellent responses to Saizen. Moreover, first-year growth during Saizen therapy was inversely correlated with the GH response to provocative GHRH testing carried out 6 and 12 mo after the initiation of Geref treatment. These findings indicate that GH is effective in accelerating growth in GH-deficient children who do not show or maintain a satisfactory response to treatment with GHRH. In addition, they suggest that the initial response to GH therapy used in this way can be predicted by means of provoc-ative testing.
authors.affiliation: Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10467, USA. PHSaenger@aol.com
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Saenger
authors.forename: O H
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Pescovitz
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Bercu
authors.forename: F T
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Landy
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brentzel
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: O'Dea
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hanson
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: E O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Reiter
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000365:Age Determination by Skeleton; D001827:Body Height; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone