Three-Year Results of Growth Hormone (GH) Treatment in Children with Non-Endocrine Short Stature

Fifty-seven children with non-endocrine short stature (NESS) were treated with recombinant human growth hormone (GH) for three years. GH treatment significantly increased height velocity, height SD score (SDS), and height velocity SDS for chronological age (CA). The mean height velocity was increased by GH treatment from 4.4cm/year to 7.2cm/year in the first year, 6.3cm/year in the second year and 5.6cm/year in the third year; the mean height SDS from -3.10 SD to -2.72 SD in the first year, to -2.50 SD in the second year and to -2.41 SD in the third year; and the mean height velocity SDS for CA from -1.72 SD to 1.86 SD in the first year, to 0.78 SD in the second year and to 0.52 SD in the third year. However, evaluated in terms of the height SDS for BA, no improvement in the effect was observed.Twenty-two children developed puberty during the three-year GH treatment: 7 in the first year, 5 in the second year and 10 in the third year. The mean height and age at the onset of puberty in 17 patients were 133.5 (±4.9) cm and 12.31 (±1.13) years in the males, and 126.0 (±7.1) cm and 11.87 (±1.02) years in the females. The height at onset of puberty was shorter than that of normal children. Since it is known that the height at onset of puberty correlates well with the final height, it is probable that the patients who were short at puberty in this study will remain short as adults. The effect of GH treatment in children with NESS should be carefully evaluated by conducting a long-term follow-up.