title: Efficacy of long-term growth hormone therapy in short children with reduced growth hormone biological activity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The optimal GH regimen, in terms of cost-effectiveness, in children with normal GH immunoreactivity but reduced bioactivity is still debated.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 12 GH-deficient (GHD) and 12 bioinactive GH children undergoing GH treatment we evaluated the increase in growth velocity, the difference between target height and final stature and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a significant (p < 0.05) increase in growth velocity in both groups during the first year of GH treatment (non- GHD: from -1.7 to 5.4 SDS; GHD: from -1.46 to 4.74 SDS). There was no statistically significant variation between the two groups in the difference between final height and target height. We did not find any significant difference in cost/height gain between GHD (1925.28 ± 653.15 euro) and bioinactive GH children (1639.55 ± 631.44 euro). There were also no significant differences in cost/year of therapy between GHD (12347.68 ± 2018.1 euro) and bioinactive GH children (11355.08 ± 1747.61 euro).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In children with reduced GH biological activity, confirmed by the increase of serum IGF-I levels during generation test, the cost of GH treatment is justified by the positive results obtained in growth and adult height as in classical GHD patients.
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics Department, University of Pavia, IRCCS San Matteo Foundation, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pagani
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meazza
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Laarej
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cantoni
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bozzola
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001827:Body Height / Q000187:drug effects; D002648:Child; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000191:economics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019382:Human Growth Hormone