Long-term follow-up of GH-treated girls with Turner syndrome: BMI, blood pressure, body proportions.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether long-term growth hormone (GH) treatment influenced blood pressure (BP), body proportions and BMI in young Turner syndrome (TS) women several years after GH discontinuation.


METHODS
A follow-up study of a randomized GH dose-response trial with 3 GH dosages (1.3, 2.0, and 2.7 mg/m(2)/day). 39 TS patients (20.0 +/- 2.1 years) participated 4.8 (1.9) years after GH discontinuation. Mean GH duration was 8.7 (2.0) years.


METHODS
BP, BMI and body proportions.


RESULTS
During GH treatment, DBP had decreased. At the long-term follow-up study, DBP had increased and was similar to pretreatment levels. DBP was negatively influenced by GH dose. SBP was not influenced by GH dose or duration. The BMI increased gradually during and after GH therapy. During GH therapy, shape values of sitting height had decreased to normal values, of foot had increased, and both remained constant after GH discontinuation.


CONCLUSIONS
GH therapy in girls with TS has, besides height, additional beneficial effects on BP and body proportions, except foot length. Nearly 5 years after ending GH, the favorable effect of GH on BP was still noticeable. The BMI increased gradually over the years, not influenced by GH.
Bannink
Ellen M N
EM
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
van der Palen
Roel L F
RL
Mulder
Paul G H
PG
de Muinck Keizer-Schrama
Sabine M P F
SM
D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors; D014424:Turner Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology
D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019382:Human Growth Hormone