Aromatase inhibitors combined with growth hormone in treatment of adolescent boys with short stature

Abstract

To assess the efficacy and safety of aromatase inhibitors (AIs) combined growth hormone in treatment of adolescent boys with short stature. One hundred and fifty-one short stature pubertal boys with age of 10-14 years and bone age of 13-15 years, who were admitted to the Department of Pediatrics, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, were included in this trial. According to their own or parents' intention, the children were divided into recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH)+AI group ( n=108) and rhGH group ( n=43). All children were injected subcutaneously with rhGH 0.15-0.2 IU·kg -1·d -1, and those in rhGH+AI group were additionally given 2.5 mg/d letrozole or 1 mg/d anastrozole, orally for 12 months or longer. The children were followed-up every 3 months. During the follow-up visit, the predicted adult height (PAH), sex hormone level, glucose and lipid metabolism, and other indicators were measured, and adverse reactions were monitored. After intervention, there were significant differences in ΔBA(bone age)/ΔCA(chronological age), ΔHtSDS BA(height standard deviation score based on bone age)and ΔPAH between rhGH+AI group and the rhGH group( P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). During follow-up, 63.9%of the children in the rhGH+AI group had elevated uric acid and 51.9%had decreased high-density lipoprotein (HDL); 25.9%showed severe acne, excitement, hyperactivity and irritability, 11.1%had knee pain; 4.6%had fracture; 2.8%had mild renal dysfunction; 1.9%had inactivity, drowsiness, memory loss and performance decline; 1.9%showed mild abnormal liver function; 0.9%showed impaired fasting glucose; 0.9%showed granulocytopenia. In the rhGH group, 11.6%of the children presented with knee pain and 2.3%with impaired fasting glucose. AI combined with rhGH can delay the growth of BA and effectively improve the PAH of adolescent boys with larger bone age. However, the occurrence of adverse reactions of AI should be closely monitored during treatment.