ESPE Abstracts

Background: Short stature is one of the most common conditions referred to pediatric endocrinology clinics, and treatment with growth hormone (GH) is useful to improve height velocity and adult height, but response may be variable. Growth hormone therapy is indicated in several conditions in pediatric patients, including growth hormone deficiency (GHD) and children born short for gestational age (SGA). We investigated differences in treatment response in Indonesian children with GHD and SGA receiving GH therapy.

Methods: In this study, we report data from the Indonesian cohort of children with GHD and SGA from the Easypod Connect Observational Study (ECOS), which collected data from children using an injection device (easypod™) between 2011-2015. Subjects received GH therapy administered using an electronic injection device.

Results: Nineteen children were included, with an average age of 8.93±2.51 years. The average GH dose was 0.035±0.006 mg/kg body weight/day, with no significant difference in dose between subjects with GHD and SGA. We observed significant increase in height SDS from baseline in the first 6 and 12 months of treatment in patients with GHD. No significant height SDS increase was seen in patients with SGA. Height velocity SDS was highest in the first 6 months of treatment for both conditions. Height velocity SDS at 6 months of treatment was significantly higher in children with GHD compared to SGA (2.38 vs -0.19, P=0.027) and in children with Tanner stage I compared to stage II and III (2.12 vs 0.40 vs -2.13, P=0.014).

Conclusions: In Indonesian children receiving growth hormone therapy, significant changes in height SDS in the first 6 and 12 months are seen in children with GHD. Height velocity is highest in the first 6 months of treatment, in pre-pubertal subjects, and is higher in children with GHD compared to children with SGA.