Bone age progression during the first year of growth hormone therapy in pre-pubertal children with idiopathic growth hormone deficiency, Turner syndrome or idiopathic short stature, and in short children born small for gestational age: analysis of data from KIGS (Pfizer International Growth Database).
OBJECTIVE
The beneficial effects of growth hormone (GH) therapy on statural growth in children are well established, but the effects on skeletal maturation are less clear. The progression of bone age (BA) was therefore studied during the first year of GH treatment in pre-pubertal children with idiopathic GH deficiency (GHD), Turner syndrome (TS) or idiopathic short stature (ISS), and in short pre-pubertal children born small for gestational age (SGA).


METHODS
Cross-sectional data on 2,209 short children with idiopathic GHD, 694 with TS, 569 with ISS and 153 with SGA were analysed. Longitudinal data were also analysed from 308 children with idiopathic GHD, 99 with TS, 57 with ISS and 29 with SGA. All patients included in the study were enrolled in KIGS (Pfizer International Growth Database) and were being treated with recombinant human GH (Genotropin). BA was assessed using the Greulich and Pyle method at baseline and after 1 year of GH therapy.


RESULTS
In all groups of patients the mean progression of BA was 1 year during the year of GH therapy, although there was considerable individual variation. Progression of BA was not correlated with chronological age, BA, height SD score (SDS) or body mass index SDS at the onset of GH therapy. There was also no consistent effect of the GH dose on BA progression.


CONCLUSIONS
Progression of BA appears to be normal in patients receiving GH in these diagnostic groups, at least over the first year of treatment in pre-puberty.
Darendeliler
Feyza
F
Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey. feyzad@istanbul.edu.tr
Ranke
Michael B
MB
Bakker
Bert
B
Lindberg
Anders
A
Cowell
Christopher T
CT
Albertsson-Wikland
Kerstin
K
Reiter
Edward O
EO
Price
David A
DA
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000886:Anthropometry; D001827:Body Height / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001846:Bone Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000172:deficiency / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014424:Turner Syndrome / Q000473:pathology*
D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019382:Human Growth Hormone