Comparison of final height in monozygotic twins, one with idiopathic and isolated growth hormone deficiency treated with low dose of growth hormone.
OBJECTIVE
We report final heights in a pair of monozygotic twins, one unaffected and the other affected with idiopathic and isolated growth hormone (GH) deficiency treated with human GH, and discuss the effect of GH dosage on the attainment of the genetic height potential in GH deficiency.


METHODS
Male monozygotic twins were born at 35 weeks of gestation; birth weights were 1,876 g in the unaffected and 1,510 g in the affected twin. At 4.9 years of age, the affected twin was studied for short stature (-3.38 SD) and was diagnosed as having idiopathic and isolated GH deficiency, whereas the unaffected twin was normal in height (+/- 0 SD). GH treatment was started at the age of 5.7 years and continued throughout childhood and adolescence. The average dose of GH administered during the treatment period was 0.35 IU (0.12 mg)/kg/week. The affected twin appeared to grow normally without other hormone replacement and achieved a final height of 165.6 cm (-0.86 SD) compared with that of 166.4 cm (-0.71 SD) in the unaffected twin at 17.5 years of age.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that a relatively low dose of GH treatment started at an early age may preserve genetic height potential in patients with isolated GH deficiency.
Sato
Hirokazu
H
Department of Pediatrics, Saitama Medical School, Saitama, Japan. shiroka@saitama-med.ac.jp
Miyamoto
Shigeki
S
Noda
Hiromasa
H
Sasaki
Nozomu
N
D001827:Body Height / Q000187:drug effects*; D004200:Diseases in Twins; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000172:deficiency*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic
D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019382:Human Growth Hormone