title: Development of antibodies against growth hormone (GH) during rhGH therapy in a girl with idiopathic GH deficiency: a case report.
abstract: A 12.5-year-old Italian girl was referred to our institute for progressive growth failure from the age of 6 years, with a height of 128.2 cm (-3.37 SDS) and a bone age of 9 years. Endocrinological evaluation revealed a partial growth hormone deficiency (GHD) and GH therapy was started at a dosage of 0.25 mg/kg/week. During the first 3 years, she showed an increase in growth rate and experienced pubertal development onset. Then a poor growth rate (2 cm/year=0.43 SDS) was observed, notwithstanding an increase in GH dosage (0.35 mg/kg/week) and good compliance. We found a positive anti-GH antibody titre (1:1850, cutoff 1/100), confirmed 6 months later (1:2035); the antibodies had low binding capacity (0.63 μg/mL) and were only partially capable of inhibiting the GH effect. However, GH treatment was discontinued, and after 3 months the antibody titre decreased (1:950). In conclusion, we suggest evaluation of anti-GH antibodies in GH-treated idiopathic GHD children in whom growth response decreases after some years of therapy.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meazza
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schaab
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pagani
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Calcaterra
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bozzola
authors.forename: Juergen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kratzsch
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bozzola
mesh_terms: D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019382:Human Growth Hormone