Growth Hormone (GH) Treatment in Turner Syndrome (TS) and Predictors of Response: a Comparison between Japan, Sweden, and the UK as Documented in the Kabi Pharmacia International Growth Study (KIGS) Database

Abstract

Baseline auxology and responses to growth hormone (GH) treatment in girls with Turner syndrome (TS) from three countries, Japan, Sweden and the United Kingdom, were compared, using data from the Kabi Pharmacia International Growth Study (KEGS). Differences were observed between countries in respect to pretreatment height and height velocity, chronological and bone ages at onset of GH, parental and target heights, body proportions, weight-for-height index, birth weight, and peak GH levels in provocation tests.Median values for height velocity in the first 3 year of GH treatment were greatest in Sweden and lowest in Japan. A previously derived model for predicting first year response in TS was applied to data from the 3 countries: there was no difference between the Studentised residuals of observed-predicted height velocities between countries.It was concluded that although there were differences in response to GH between countries, there was no difference in “responsiveness”. The predictive model for first year response was robust but only accounted for 25% of the variability of response; other factors predicting response to GH in TS should be sought.