PROSPECTIVE CLINICAL-TRIAL OF HUMAN GROWTH-HORMONE IN SHORT CHILDREN WITHOUT GROWTH-HORMONE DEFICIENCY JOURNAL OF PEDIATRICS Gertner, J. M., Genel, M., GIANFREDI, S. P., Hintz, R. L., Rosenfeld, R. G., Tamborlane, W. V., Wilson, D. M. 1984; 104 (2): 172-176

Abstract

Ten unselected, apparently healthy short children who were capable of normal growth hormone secretion were given human growth hormone (0.1 U/kg 1M thrice weekly) for 6 months to determine whether such treatment might lead to an increase in growth velocity. During treatment, all patients increased their growth rate (from 4.3 +/- 0.3 cm/yr to 7.4 +/- 0.5 cm/yr P less than 0.001). No adverse effects were detected. During the four-day IGF generation test, IGF I and IGF II levels rose significantly from 0.32 +/- 0.04 U/ml to 0.62 +/- 0.13 U/ml and from 279 +/- 36 ng/ml to 434 +/- 49 ng/ml, respectively. However, the growth response was not predicted by either the acute rise in IGF I or that in IGF II. Human growth hormone in standard doses may be capable of inducing accelerated growth in some short children without growth hormone deficiency. Measurements of IGF I and II cannot be used to predict which children will respond.

View details for Web of Science ID A1984SC70100002

View details for PubMedID 6363657