title: No difference in pubertal growth and final height between treated hypogonadal and non-hypogonadal thalassemic patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many factors can negatively affect growth in thalassemic patients, and hypogonadism has been considered as the main factor responsible for their pubertal growth failure.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the influence of hypogonadism and its treatment on pubertal growth and final height in thalassemic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared the growth of 28 hypogonadal thalassemic patients in whom puberty was induced to that of 25 patients in whom puberty occurred spontaneously.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In both groups of patients we observed reduced peak height velocity (induced puberty: females 4.9 +/- 2.1, males 6.0 +/- 1.8 cm/year; spontaneous puberty: females 6.1 +/- 1.5, males 7.3 +/- 2.1 cm/year) and pubertal height gain (induced puberty: females 11.3 +/- 4.0, males 18.0 +/- 4.5 cm/year; spontaneous puberty: females 15.8 +/- 2.7, males 18.1 +/- 5.3 cm/year) and a short final height (induced puberty: females -1.8 +/- 0.7, males -2.1 +/- 1.0 SDS; spontaneous puberty: females -2.3 +/- 1.0, males -1.9 +/- 1.0 SDS).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Poor pubertal growth is present in thalassemic patients regardless of hypogonadism. Other factors are responsible for the reduced growth spurt and the final short stature observed in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Catania, Catania, Italy. endoped@unict.it
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caruso-Nicoletti
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: De Sanctis
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Raiola
authors.forename: Nicos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Skordis
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mancuso
authors.forename: Marilena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coco
authors.forename: Beatrix
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wonke
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001827:Body Height / Q000187:drug effects*; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth; D006801:Humans; D007006:Hypogonadism / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D011627:Puberty; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013739:Testosterone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013789:Thalassemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol