ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: Controversy still exists about the effect of GH treatment on linear growth and weight gain (WG) in children with ISS.

Aim: To study linear growth and weight gain in children with ISS treated with GH vs those not treated in comparison with treated children with GHD.

Methodology: We conducted a longitudinal controlled study on 78 children presented to a pediatric clinic with short stature (January - December 2017). Children were classified to ISS and GHD based on the GH provocation test. ISS children were randomly stratified into two groups. Group 1 (n = 19) treated with GH 0.035 mg/kg/day and group 2 (n = 30) was not treated with GH. Both groups were compared to GHD children (n = 29) treated with growth hormone (0.03-0.05 mg/kg/day). The dose was tailored to keep IGF-1 SD between (0 to +2). Anthropometrics data (HtSDS, the difference from MPH, BMISDS, and WG), bone age, and IGF-1 level were studied in the 3 groups for 1 year.

Results: At presentation, there was no difference in age, HTSDS, BMISDS, the difference from MPHSDS, bone age and IGF-1 SD among the three groups. (P > 0.05). After 1 year, there was a significant increase in HtSDS in GH-treated groups P (< 0.01). The increase in HtSDS, change in BMISDS, and the difference in HtSDS from MPHSDS did not differ among the two treated groups. Comparison between treated and non-treated ISS showed that BMISDS and WG increased significantly (P = 0.02) in the treated vs. nontreated group whereas the increase in HtSDS was not significant in the non-treated ISS group.

Conclusion: Growth hormone therapy improved the HtSDS, BMISDS, and daily weight gain during the first year of treatment of ISS which was comparable to the response of GH treatment in GHD children.