Growth of two children after six months interruption of GH therapy.
We describe two short boys with normal GH responses to the stimuli in whom GH therapy was interrupted for 6 months. Their growth rates before and after the interruption, and after re-administration of GH were evaluated. Height velocity (HV) in case 1 before and after the interruption was 6.6 cm/y and 5.0 cm/y, respectively. HV was not increased (5.0 cm/y) by re-initiation of GH therapy despite the high serum IGF-1 level. Height velocity (HV) in case 2 before and after the interruption was 5.6 cm/y and 3.6 cm/y, respectively. HV was slightly increased to 4.1 cm/y by re-administration of GH, but it was far below the pretreatment value. Serum IGF-1 was increased by GH in this case as well. We conclude that re-acceleration of growth by re-administration of GH after interruption of therapy, as seen in classical GHD patients, may not be expected in normal short children.
Katsushima
Y
Y
Department of Pediatrics, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
Ogawa
E
E
Fujiwara
I
I
Asanuma
A
A
Iinuma
K
K
D001827:Body Height / Q000187:drug effects*; D002648:Child; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male
D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I