title: Multicentric study of efficacy and safety of growth hormone use in growth hormone deficient children in India.
abstract: Growth Hormone being very expensive in India data on use of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) is scarce. The authors studied the effect and safety of one year of therapy with rhGH on growth velocity and predicted final height in Indian patients with growth hormone deficiency (GHD). A multicentric, prospective, open trial with rhGH was performed on 15 patients. Patients received rhGH in a dose of 0.7 IU (0.23 mg)/Kg/week. The mean pretreatment height was 111.2 cms {SD 12.4}, height velocity was 3.1 cms per year {1.2} and predicted height was 146.5 cms {10.4} at a mean age of 12.0 (2.8). At the end of therapy mean height was 123.4 {11.9}, height velocity was 12.1 cms per year {2.8} and the predicted height was 153.0 cm {9.4}. The increase in predicted height was thus 6.5 cm (4.2). The increment in height velocity with growth hormone therapy was statistically significant (p value= 0.001). The present study shows that children with growth hormone deficiency in India also benefit from therapy with rhGH even when treatment is started late as compared to the published Western data and there is a potential for increased final height.
authors.affiliation: Medical Services and Product Development, LG Life Sciences India Pvt. Ltd., Hirabai Cowasji Jehangir Medical Research Institute, Jehangir Hospital, Pune, India. akhadilkar@vsnl.net
authors.forename: V V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Khadilkar
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Khadilkar
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nandy
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Maskati
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001827:Body Height / Q000187:drug effects; D002648:Child; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019382:Human Growth Hormone