Human growth hormone and Turner syndrome

Abstract

Abstract Objective The evaluation of clinical and analytical parameters as predictors of the final growth response in Turner syndrome patients treated with growth hormone. Material and methods A retrospective study was performed on 25 girls with Turner syndrome (17 treated with growth hormone), followed-up until adult height. Auxological, analytical, genetic and pharmacological parameters were collected. A descriptive and analytical study was conducted to evaluate short (12 months) and long term response to treatment with growth hormone. Results A favourable treatment response was shown during the first year of treatment in terms of height velocity gain in 66.6% of cases (height-gain velocity >3 cm/year). A favourable long-term treatment response was also observed in terms of adult height, which increased by 42.82 ± 21.23 cm (1.25 ± 0.76 SDS), with an adult height gain of 9.59 ± 5.39 cm (1.68 ± 1.51 SDS). Conclusions Predictors of good response to growth hormone treatment are: (A) initial growth hormone dose, (B) time on growth hormone treatment until starting oestrogen therapy, (C) increased IGF1 and IGFBP-3 levels in the first year of treatment, and (D) height gain velocity in the first year of treatment.