title: The effect of growth hormone treatment on height in children with idiopathic short stature.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Idiopathic short stature (ISS) is short stature of unknown cause. In 2003, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of growth hormone (GH) for ISS. Several studies have evaluated the effect of GH in children with ISS, in whom improved growth velocities and height standard deviation scores (SDS) have been reported. However, clinical variables influence the height improvement.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to evaluate the effects of GH treatment on ISS and to analyze clinical factors associated with growth velocity.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was conducted retrospectively. Subjects diagnosed with ISS at Ajou University Hospital were divided into two groups, an ISS with GH-treatment group (n=34) and an ISS control group (n=36). All children were prepubertal, and aged <10 years. We reviewed their auxological data, laboratory findings, and bone age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Growth velocity of the GH-treatment group exceeded that of controls by 3.37 cm/year (95% CI, 2.78-3.95). At baseline, the mean SDS for height in the treatment and control groups were equivalent (-2.25 ± 0.29 and -2.22 ± 0.31, respectively). However, after 1 year, the height of the GH-treated group exceeded that of the control group by 0.73 SDS (95% CI, 0.57-0.88). A negative correlation was found between age and growth velocity in the GH-treatment group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GH treatment increased short-term growth velocity and height SDS of Korean children with ISS. Age was identified as the single most important factor correlated with growth velocity in GH treatment.
authors.forename: Hwal Rim
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Young Seok
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: Hae Sang
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jin Soon
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Hwang
mesh_terms: D001827:Body Height / Q000187:drug effects; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004392:Dwarfism / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D019382:Human Growth Hormone