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. MATERIALS

AND 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. CONCLUSION: 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.