Growth Hormone Therapy of Short Stature1

ABSTRACT. Considerable progress has been made in the diagnosis and treatment of growth hormone-related short stature. Knowledge about growth hormone releasing factor (GRF) and somatomedin C has provided the possibility of distinguishing between hypothalamic and pituitary growth hormone deficiency and growth hormone resistance. It has been shown that treatment with GRF may stimulate growth in certain cases of growth hormone deficiency. Recombinant DNA techniques may, in the near future, provide sufficient amounts of GRF, growth hormone and possibly somatomedin C for clinical use. At present, many countries have prohibited the use of human pituitary growth hormone due to a possible risk of transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. It has become increasingly clear that several short children without classical growth hormone deficiency, may increase their growth velocity during growth hormone treatment. There are many medical, psychological, ethical and economical implications involved in the extended treatment of children with short stature. It is necessary to maintain a restricted approach towards the treatment of children with short stature, and such treatment should be prescribed and controlled by a limited number of well-trained paediatric endocrinologists. This article reviews some of the present knowledge in this rapid developing field of paediatric endocrinology.     

Physiological Growth Hormone Secretion and Response to Growth Hormone Treatment in Children with Short Stature and Intrauterine Growth Retardation

Stanhope, R., Ackland, F., Hamill, G., Clayton, J., Jones, J. and Preece, M.A. (Department of Growth and Development, Institute of Child Health, London and Serono Laboratories, UK). Physiological growth hormone secretion and response to growth hormone treatment in children with short stature and intrauterine growth retardation. Acta Paediatr Scand [Suppl] 349: 47, 1989.
Physiological growth hormone (GH) secretion was examined in 31 children (8 girls, 23 boys) with short stature secondary to intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). Seventeen (4 girls, 13 boys) had dysmorphic features of Russell-Silver syndrome. Four of the 31 children had GH insufficiency with peak GH levels of < 20 mU/I during the night. Nine of the patients (8 of whom had Russell-Silver syndrome) had a single nocturnal GH pulse. Twenty-three children (6 girls, 17 boys) were randomized into two groups treated with either 15 or 30 U/m²/week of GH by daily subcutaneous injections. Age, sex distribution, pretreatment height velocity SD score (SDS), and distribution of dysmorphic and non-dysmorphic children were similar in both groups. The group treated with 15 U/m2/week for a mean of 0.82 years showed an increase in mean height velocity SDS from - 0.61 to +1.09, and the group treated with 30 U/m²/week for a mean of 0.92 years showed an increase in mean height velocity SDS from -0.69 to +3.48. The results suggest that physiological GH insufficiency is probably common in children with Russell-Silver syndrome and that both dysmorphic and non-dysmorphic children with short stature secondary to IUGR will respond to GH treatment. Initial evidence suggests that the increase in short-term growth velocity does not result in an improved final height prognosis.     

Predicting and Monitoring of Growth in Children with Short Stature during the First Year of Growth Hormone Treatment

ABSTRACT. Fifteen prepubertal short stature children (10 girls, 5 boys), mean age 9.6 years (range 5.2–12.7 years), with normal response to growth hormone stimulation tests (group A) or partial growth hormone deficiency (GHD) of idiopathic nature (group B) were included in a controlled longitudinal study for evaluation of predictive parameters for the long-term growth response after administration of biosynthetic human growth hormone (B-hGH). The average knee–heel length velocity for the first 3 months was significantly correlated to total body height velocity during the following 9 months ( p <0.0008). By contrast, this association could not be found for height velocity during the same period. The increase in serum values of alkaline phosphatase and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1) during the first month of treatment was not significantly correlated to height velocity during the first year. During one year of treatment with B-hGH the mean height velocity for groups A and B increased from 4.4 cm/year (range 2.5–6.5) to 7.6 cm/year (range 4.7–10.6). Bone age advanced by 1.08 t0.60 per chronological year. The ratio between total height and knee-heel length prior to treatment was 3.34 ± 0.10 and after one year 3.33 ± 0.10, suggesting a proportional linear growth. An inverse relationship was observed between the ratio and chronological age. In conclusion, early knee–heel measurement may be a useful non-invasive predictor of long-term linear growth in children during treatment with growth hormone, and the ratio of total height to lower leg length may be of importance in detecting dysproportional growth.     

Effects of 3 Years of Growth Hormone Therapy in Short Normal Children

ABSTRACT. The effect of 3 years of growth hormone (GH) treatment on growth rate, predicted height, carbohydrate and metabolic status, and thyroid function was studied in 16 short prepubertal children growing with a normal pretreatment growth rate. The height velocity SDS increased from a pretreatment value of -0.44 ± 0.33 (mean ± SD) to a value of +2.20 ± 1.03 during the first year of treatment. It was maintained at a value above zero over the subsequent 2 years. By the end of the third year of treatment, the predicted final height had increased by 6.8 cm in the boys and by 4.2 cm in the girls ( p < 0.001 and p < 0.01, respectively). Increasing the dose of GH on a body surface area basis reduced the deceleration of growth observed during the second year of treatment, leading to an improvement in height prognosis over that year. Glucose homoeostasis was achieved initially at the expense of an elevation in fasting serum insulin concentration, but this had returned to pretreatment values by the end of the second year of therapy. No effects on thyroid function were observed.     

Predictive Criteria for Successful Growth Promotion in Growth Hormone Therapy of Short Stature: A Comparison between Common Endocrine Parameters and Knemometry

ABSTRACT. Due to increased availability of growth hormone (GH) for the treatment of short stature, its use has been proposed for a number of conditions besides classic GH deficiency. We have studied growth response during a one year treatment period with 14 IU/m²/week of GH in a heterogenous group of 24 short children with various conditions associated with short stature (SDS for body height ranging between −2.2 and −4.4). Thirteen children could be classified as "responders" with growth rate increments of 2 cm/yr or more above pretreat-ment growth rates, and 11 children as "non-responders". The children were measured regularly both by stadiometry and knemometry at weekly intervals. GH stimulation by insulin, arginine and spontaneous overnight secretion of GH, and SM-C generation were evaluated in the children and found to be of no predictive value for the individual responsiveness to GH administration except in one boy with classic GH deficiency. However, serial measurements of the lower leg length provided useful information for individual predictions in 21 out of the 24 children as early as 10 weeks after the start of the GH treatment.     

国产重组人生长激素治疗特发性矮身材患儿的疗效

目的观察重组人生长激素(rhGH)对特发性矮身材(ISS)患儿的促生长效果。方法选择矮身材患儿98例。按病因分为ISS组30例,生长激素缺乏症(GHD)组68例。二组患儿均予国产rhGH治疗,剂量分别为0.15、0.1 IU/(kg.d),每晚睡前皮下注射,疗程6个月。治疗前及治疗后3、6个月分别测定患儿的身高、体质量、骨龄,计算生长速度。结果治疗3、6个月二组生长速度均显著高于治疗前[ISS组:(7.3±2.9),(7.5±2.7),(3.5±2.1)cm年/,P<0.01;GHD组:(13.2±3.5),(13.5±3.6),(4.0±2.9)cm年/,P<0.01]。治疗6个月后ISS组27例身高增长,GHD组68例身高增长。治疗3、6个月二组同期的生长速度比较,GHD组高于ISS组(P<0.01)。结论国产rhGH治疗ISS患儿安全、总体有效,但疗效存在不均一性,且差于GHD患儿。     

Effects of Short-Term Growth Hormone Therapy in Short Children without Growth Hormone Deficiency

ABSTRACT. Evaluation of 24-hour endogenous growth hormone (GH) secretion was carried out in 62 children, aged 7-16 years, who did not have classic GH deficiency (GHD). The mean 24-hour GH concentration, determined at 20-minute intervals over 24 hours, was variable, ranging from 1.28 to 11.39 μg/l with a mean of 4.95 ± 2.55 μl (± SD). There was a positive correlation between mean 24-hour GH concentration and plasma insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) values ( r = 0.54; p < 0.01). Recombinant human GH, 0.1 IU/kg/day was administered to 30 of the 62 children for 6 months followed by 6 months'observation without treatment. Thereafter, GH was administered at the same dose for a further 6 months to 16 children. The mean height velocities before, during, and after the first treatment period were 4.3 ± 0.9, 7.3 ± 1.9 and 4.9 ± 2.0 cm/year (mean ± SD), respectively. The height velocity during treatment was greater than pre- and post-treatment values ( p < 0.001). The height velocity Increased again during the second treatment period to a mean of 8.5 ± 2.0 cm/year ( p < 0.001). Nine other children were treated continuously in a similar manner for 1 year and their height velocity increased significantly from 4.1 ± 1.4 to 6.0 ± 1.9 cm/year ( p < 0.001). According to our criteria, 29 of the 39 children (74.4%) who were treated for 6-12 months showed a GH-dependent height increase during therapy. There were no differences between the children who responded to GH treatment and those who did not in terms of Chronological age, bone age, plasma IGF-I level, maximal GH level to insulin-induced hypoglycaemia, or mean 24-hour plasma GH concentration. These data indicate that some short children without GHD respond to GH treatment with an increased height velocity. Further investigations are required to determine the effect of GH on final height.     

Immunological and Endocrinological Response to Growth Hormone Therapy in Short Children

ABSTRACT. We investigated the influence of human growth hormone (hGH) on mitogen-stimulated lymphoproliferation, in vitro IgM production, serum levels of immunoglobulins, somatomedin-C (Sm-C) values and serum growth-promoting activity (Thymidine Activity, TA) in 18 short children, aged between 6.6–14.5 years, undergoing a 3-month course of hGH therapy. Blood was collected the day before treatment (Group A), on the 5th day after patients were administered hGH daily (0.1 U/kg) i.m. for 4 days (Group B), after a 3-month course of hGH injected three times weekly, and finally before (Group C) and 24 h after an extra injection (Group D). In vitro IgM production from the patients' unstimulated lymphocytes decreased from 277±41 (Group A) to 168±38 (Group B), to 119±43 (Group C) and then to 119±28 ng/ml (Group D) ( p <0.05). Using PWM-stimulated lymphocytes in vitro IgM production decreased from 2015±464 (Group A) to 1116±316 (Group B), then to 511±170 (Group C) and 968±295 ng/ml (Group D) ( p <0.02). The variation of this decrease could be correlated with the variation of growth velocity during treatment ( r =0.619, p <0.05). In contrast, no significant changes were found following therapy either in serum levels of IgA, IgE, IgG, IgM, Sm-C and TA, or in phytohemagglutinin, concanavalin A and pokeweed mitogen-stimulated lymphoproliferation. Our data suggest that there is some relationship between growth hormone, growth and immunity.     

Growth Hormone Response to Overnight Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone Infusion and Oral Pyridostigmine in Children with Short Stature

Ross, R.J.M., Savage, M.O., Kirk, J.M.W. and Besser, G.M. (Departments of Endocrinology and Child Health, St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, UK). Growth hormone response to overnight growth hormone-releasing hormone infusion and oral pyridostigmine in children with short stature. Acta Paediatr Scand [Suppl] 349: 114, 1989.
The development of a long-acting or depot preparation of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) may have many advantages over conventional treatment (with GH) of GH-deficient children. Pyridostigmine, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, has been shown to augment basal GH secretion and the GH response to GHRH in short children. It may thus provide adjuvant therapy to depot GHRH. The GH response to a nocturnal subcutaneous infusion of GHRH (1–29)NH₂ in doses of 5 and 10 pg/kg/hour was investigated in five short, slowly growing children. The effect of oral pyridostigmine 60 mg on nocturnal GH secretion and the GH response to a nocturnal infusion was also examined. The subcutaneous infusion of GHRH augmented pulsatile GH release in all five children. There was a dose-related response to subcutaneous GHRH for the GH area under the curve and mean GH pulse amplitude, but no change in the number of pulses. There was a significant rise in the mean baseline GH concentration during the GHRH infusion compared with placebo. Pyridostigmine had no effect on either basal or stimulated GH secretion.     

身材矮小儿童523例病因分析

目的探讨身材矮小儿童的病因。方法矮小儿童共523例,其中男365例(69.79%),女158例(30.21%);平均年龄10.91岁。对其进行全面的病史采集和体格检查及相关实验室检查。结果生长激素缺乏症115例占21.99%;体质性青春发育延迟100例占19.12%;家族性矮小97例占18.55%;特发性矮小79例占15.11%,余为甲状腺功能减低症、宫内发育迟缓、Turner综合征、多种垂体激素缺乏症等引起的矮小症。结论矮小儿童中,内分泌疾病所致矮小占大多数,其中以生长激素缺乏症最为多见。对部分临床表现不典型的甲状腺功能减低症需通过实验室检查才能确诊。对矮小患儿应明确病因,给予对因治疗。     

Clinical Usefulness of Urinary Growth Hormone Measurement in Short Children

Growth hormone GH) levels in nocturnal urine were measured in 96 short children and 73 children of normal height in order to investigate whether urinary CH levels reflect spontaneous GH secretion and whether they might be used to screen short children for GH treatment. GH levels in 24-hour urine samples were significantly correlated with urinary albumin and β₂-microglobulin levels in normal children, demonstrating an influence of renal function on urinary GH measurements. Nocturnal urinary GH levels showed significant positive correlations with mean serum GH levels during 3 hours of sleep ( r = 0.26. p < 0.05) and plasma insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I) levels, reflecting physiological GH secretion. Urinary GH levels were significantly lower in the eight children with complete GH deficiency (3.1 ± 2.3 ng/g creatinine) than in the normal children (13.8 ± 11.2 ng/g creatinine). Urinary GH levels in three other groups of short children, partial CH deficiency (11.1 ± 16.9 ng/g creatinine), impaired GH secretion during sleep (10.4 ± 12.6 ng/g creatinine) and non-endocrine short stature (18.8 ± 19.5 ng/g creatinine), were not significantly different from those in the normal children. However, when the cut-off point for defining GH insufficiency was set at 5 ng/g creatinine, 87.5% (21 out of 24) of the short children with low urinary GH levels were suitable subjects for GH treatment (i.e. had complete GH deficiency, partial GH deficiency or impaired GH secretion during sleep). It is concluded that urinary GH measurement, though influenced by renal function, is potentially a simple, non-invasive and clinically useful method for screening short children for GH insufficiency. Further refinements of the technique are required before it can be widely applied.     

血清胰岛素样生长因子-1、胰岛素样生长因子结合蛋白-3在矮小症儿童诊断和疗效判断中的价值

目的探讨胰岛素样生长因子-1（IGF-1）及其结合蛋白-3（IGFBP-3）在矮小症儿童诊断及疗效判断中的价值。方法1．对124例青春发育前矮小症患儿用精氨酸激发试验和可乐定激发试验检测其血清生长激素（GH）水平，并根据患儿GH峰值分为生长激素缺乏组（GHD组，40例）、特发性矮小组（1SS组，84例）。选取20例健康儿童作为健康对照组。对所有儿童采用酶联免疫吸附法检测血清IGF—1和IGFBP-3。对GHD组、ISS组和健康对照组儿童血清IGF-1和IGFBP-3水平进行两两比较。2．对15例GHD和30例ISS患儿予国产重组人生长激素（rhGH）0．1IU／（kg&#183;d）治疗6个月，于治疗前及治疗6个月分别测定其身高、体质量、骨龄及血清IGF-1、IGFBP-3，并进行治疗前后的对照。结果1．GHD组和ISS组患儿血清IGF-1和IGFBP-3水平明显低于健康对照组（Pa〈0．01），GHD组与ISS组患儿血清IGF-1和IGFBP-3水平比较均有显著差异（Pa〈0．01），GHD组患儿治疗前后血清IGF-1、IGFBP-3比较有显著差异（Pa〈0．01）；诊断GHD，IGF-1的特异性为67．8％，敏感性为75％；IGFBP-3的特异性为88％，敏感性为85％。2．rhGH治疗后身高增长速度明显加快，血清IGF-1、IGFBP-3水平显著升高；治疗前血清IGF-1与治疗6个月生长速度呈显著负相关（r=-0．78P〈0．01）；治疗6个月后IGF-1的变化与治疗后生长速度呈显著正相关（r=0．82P〈0．01）。结论IGF-1、IGFBP-3可用于儿童矮小症的诊断及疗效评价。     

特发性身材矮小儿童成骨细胞的功能状况

目的通过检测特发性身材矮小(ISS)儿童血清骨碱性磷酸酶(BAP)及骨钙蛋白(OC)水平,探讨其成骨细胞的功能状况。方法ISS组36例及健康对照组儿童50例。ISS组分为青春期前组及青春期组。测各组儿童身高、体质量、体质量指数,采用CHN法评定左侧手、腕部骨化指标,计算骨龄。采用ELISA法测其血清BAP及OC水平。结果青春期前,ISS儿童血清BAP及OC水平为(79.90±25.96)U/Lvs(60.96±18.46)μg/L,健康对照组为(152.17±35.36)U/Lvs(76.16±28.03)μg/L;青春期,ISS儿童血清BAP及OC水平为(108.33±35.20)U/Lvs(63.82±24.81)μg/L,健康对照组为(156.30±35.29)U/Lvs(104.92±28.26)μg/L。青春期前及青春期ISS组血清BAP及OC水平均明显低于健康对照组,存在显著性差异(Pa<0.01)。结论ISS儿童以成骨细胞为中心环节的骨塑造和再造能力均较健康生长发育少年儿童差。     

Growth Response to Human Growth Hormone Treatment in Children with Partial and Total Growth Hormone Deficiency

ABSTRACT. The growth response during the first and second years of human growth hormone (hGH) treatment was studied in 14 prepubertal children with so-called "partial" GH deficiency (peak GH between 8 and 15 mU/1) and compared to 28 prepubertal children with "total" GH deficiency (peak GH less than 8 mU/1). There was no difference in growth acceleration between children with partial and total GH deficiency, when initial covariables were taken into account. In a stepwise multiple regression analysis initial stature, pre-treatment growth velocity and skinfold thickness were shown to be most related to growth response, but after exclusion of 3 children with a genetic form of total GH deficiency and partial TSH deficiency this relationship was lost. GH levels during provocation tests and auxological criteria have a poor predictive value for growth response to hGH therapy.     

Growth Response in the First Year of Growth Hormone Treatment in Prepubertal Children with Organic Growth Hormone Deficiency: a Comparison with Idiopathic Growth Hormone Deficiency

ABSTRACT. Patients in the Kabi International Growth Study (KIGS) up to 1st January 1990 who had organic growth hormone deficiency (OGHD) were identified. They accounted for 21% of all patients with growth hormone deficiency (GHD). Diagnostic categories within the OGHD group included septo-optic dysplasia, postnatal trauma, craniopharyngioma, other cranial tumours, and following acute leukaemia. Features at presentation and during the first year of hGH treatment were compared with those of children with idiopathic growth hormone deficiency (IGHD). Ninety prepubertal children with OGHD were selected for comparison of observed first-year height velocity (HV) with predicted values based on those observed in 257 children with IGHD. Those with septo-optic dysplasia, postnatal trauma and craniopharyngioma responded as predicted, whereas those with other cranial tumours appeared to grow less well than predicted. Glucocorticoid treatment did not affect response, but previous cranial or craniospinal irradiation was found to be associated with an observed HV which was significantly less than predicted.     

Two-Year Results of Treatment with Methionyl Human Growth Hormone in Children with Turner Syndrome

ABSTRACT. Methionyl growth hormone (somatrem) in a daily dosage of 4 IU/m² body surface area was administered to 16 girls with Turner syndrome. Low dose ethinyl estradiol (0.1 μg/kg body weight) was added in girls aged 13 years or more. Mean (SD) height velocity increased from 3.4 (0.9) to 7.2 (1.7) and 5.3 (1.3) cm/year in the first and second year, respectively. Bone age advanced 1.8 years over 2 years and predicted adult height was increased. Apart from the occurrence of anti-GH antibodies there were no side effects. In conclusion, somatrem is an efficacious and safe therapy for short stature in Turner syndrome over a period of 2 years. Longer follow-up is needed before conclusions about its effect on final height can be drawn.     

Growth Hormone Treatment in Short Children -Short-Term and Long-Term Effects on Growth

Short children with normal GH responses to arginine-insulin provocation testing and various amounts of spontaneously secreted GH over 24 hours participated in an ongoing study with GH, 0.1 IU/kg/day. A total of 40 prepubertal children have been treated for 1 year. Their mean height velocity increased from 4.6 to 7.5 cm/year. The children with the slowest pretreatment height velocity showed the best increment. An inverse relationship was found between the endogenous GH secretion and the increment in growth; 80% of the children had an endogenous GH secretion of less than 300 milliunits/litre/24 hours, estimated as area under the curve above the calculated baseline. They all showed an increment in height above 2 cm. The remaining 20% all had an endogenous GH secretion of more than 300 milliunits/litre/24 hours, estimated as area under the curve above the calculated baseline, Twenty-four of the children were prepubertal for the following 4 years, and their GH therapy continued. Their Deight velocity changed from 4.2 cm/year before therapy to 8.1,6.7,6.0 and 4.9 cm/year for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th years on treatment. Many of them have passed their expected final height, but have still not stopped growing. Those children who were in early puberty when GH treatment started went into a rapid growth spurt and have now stopped growing. They have all reached but not improved their expected final height. In 15 of the children GH treatment was stopped after 1-3 years. Their mean height velocity for the first post-treatment year was 5.1 cm/year; thus, for the group as a whole no'catch down'was observed. Of the 15 children, only 4 decreased in height velocity despite increasing age. Further studies on the long-term results of GH treatment in larger groups of short children are needed to verify the findings in this study.     

Growth Response in Prepubertal Children with Idiopathic Growth Hormone Deficiency during the First Year of Treatment with Human Growth Hormone. Analysis of the Kabi International Growth Study.

ABSTRACT. In order that children with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) reach the goal of normal adult stature, treatment modalities need to be optimized. From the large database of patients enrolled in the Kabi International Growth Study (KIGS), 257 prepubertal patients with idiopathic GHD undergoing their first year of growth hormone (GH) substitution therapy were selected. A multiple regression analysis was performed to determine both auxiological factors characterizing the patients and the factors related to the chosen treatment modalities which are of significance for the observed magnitude of the growth response. Due to the structure of the data, pretreatment height velocity and bone age-derived auxiological data were not considered. It was observed that the magnitude of the growth response was inversely correlated with chronological age and relative height (HT SDS) at the start of GH treatment but was positively correlated with mid-parental height. The growth response was also positively correlated with the GH dose (IU/kg/week) and the frequency of GH injections per week. A regression equation using these five parameters was derived, allowing the growth response of these patients to be predicted. The extension of this analytical approach in the future will allow the treatment of patients with GHD to be tailored to individual requirements.