ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: Growth hormone (GH) therapy has revolutionized the management of patients with short stature. Its common use was first limited to GH deficient children, but now it has been widnened to various other clinical conditions.The aim of our study is to compare the response to GH therapy in patients with GH deficiency (GHD), with those with Turner syndrome and patients small-for-gestational age (SGA).

Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on patients presenting with short stature admitted in the endocrinology department and treated with GH.The results were collected and processed using the SPSS operating software V21.

Results: The prevalence of patients treated with GH was 20,6%. The mean age of patients at diagnosis was 11,4 ±5years, and the the sex ratio M/F was 1,4. Indications for GH therapy were mostly represented by GHD in 65,2% of patients, followed by SGA with failure to catch up to the normal height percentiles in 17,4% of patients, then Turner syndrome in 17,4% of patients. The mean starting GH dose was 0.8 mg/day ±0,2. In patients with GHD, the mean height before initiating GH therapy was 114 ±19cm, and the mean standard deviation (SD) score for height was -4SD ±1,5SD. After one year of treatment, the mean height was 127cm ±14cm, with a gain of 14cm, and the mean standard deviation (SD) score for hieght was -3,4SD ±1SD. In patients with SGA, the mean height before initiating GH therapy was 120cm ±18cm, and the mean standard deviation (SD) score for height was -4SD ±0,8SD. After one year of treatment, the mean height was 131cm ±21cm, with a gain of 11cm, and the mean standard deviation (SD) score for height was -3,6SD ±1SD. In patients with Turner syndrome, the mean height before initiating GH therapy was 114.6cm ± 9.8 cm, and the mean standard deviation (SD) score for height was-2.8 SD ± 0.91SD. After one year of treatment, the mean height was 120cm ±9cm, and the mean standard deviation (SD) score for height was -2.6 SD ±1SD.

Discussion and Conclusion: A variability of reponses to GH therapy has been noticed in our patients. GH therapy seems to be more effective in patients with GHD in whom the height’s gain after one year of treatment was higher than SGA and Turner syndrome. This variability of reponse might be linked to genetic and individual compenents which differ from a diagnosis to another.