Skeletal maturity was not accelerated by treatment with recombinant growth hormone ( hGH ) .
BACKGROUND Turner syndrome ( TS ) affects about one in 1500 to 2500 live-born females .
One of the most prevalent and salient features of the syndrome is extremely short stature .
Untreated women are approximately 20 to 21 cm shorter than normal women within their respective population s. Recombinant human growth hormone ( hGH ) has been used to increase growth and final height in girls who have Turner syndrome .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of recombinant growth hormone in children and adolescents with TS .
Growth-promoting effect of growth hormone and low dose ethinyl estradiol in girls with Turner's syndrome.
Forty patients with Turner 's syndrome , aged 5.0 - 16.6 yr , were r and omly allocated to receive daily sc injections of recombinant human GH ( hGH ) at a dose of 1 IU/kg.week alone ( group I ) or in combination with 25 ng/kg.day ethinyl estradiol ( E2 ; group II ) . The mean pretreatment height velocity was 3.8 cm/yr for both groups . During the first year of treatment height velocity increased significantly ( P less than 0.001 ) in both groups , to 7.5 + /- 1.3 and 8.1 + /- 1.6 cm/yr , respectively . The difference between the two groups was not significant . The mean ( + /- SD ) height velocity expressed as the SD score for chronological age ( Turner references ) was 0.0 + /- 1.2 for group I and 0.2 + /- 1.4 for group II and increased significantly ( P less than 0.001 ) during the first year of treatment to + 4.3 + /- 1.1 in group I and + 5.4 + /- 1.2 in group II . The difference between both groups was statistically significant ( P less than 0.01 ) . Height SD score for chronological age ( Turner references ) increased from -0.2 + /- 0.9 to + 0.6 + /- 1.0 in group I and from -0.2 + /- 1.0 to + 0.7 + /- 1.1 in group II . Mean bone age progressed similarly in both treatment groups ( 1.1 + /- 0.6 yr during 1 yr of treatment ) . However , bone age maturation accelerated more rapidly in younger patients . Twelve girls ( three in group I and nine in group II ) had minor breast development . No major adverse effects were reported . We conclude that daily sc therapy with hGH stimulates height velocity in Turner 's syndrome . The beneficial effect on height velocity increment of E2 addition was small . Furthermore , even very low doses of E2 may induce breast development at an early age and accelerate bone maturation . For these reasons , the addition of E2 to hGH is not warranted in young patients with Turner 's syndrome
Skeletal maturity was not accelerated by treatment with recombinant growth hormone ( hGH ) .
BACKGROUND Turner syndrome ( TS ) affects about one in 1500 to 2500 live-born females .
One of the most prevalent and salient features of the syndrome is extremely short stature .
Untreated women are approximately 20 to 21 cm shorter than normal women within their respective population s. Recombinant human growth hormone ( hGH ) has been used to increase growth and final height in girls who have Turner syndrome .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of recombinant growth hormone in children and adolescents with TS .