Final height and body disproportion in thalassaemic boys and girls with spontaneous or induced puberty
Authors: Filosa A , Di Maio S , Baron I , Esposito G , Galati MG 
Published: August 2010

The aim of the study was to evaluate whether sex hormone replacement therapy adversely affected final height and body disproportion in thalassaemic boys and girls. Thirty‐six patients with spontaneous (SP) or induced puberty (IP) were studied in order to define the pattern of height growth through three observations: the first (A) at the age of 7–9; the second (B) at onset of spontaneous or induced puberty; and the third (C) when final height was reached. We examined 14 females with SP (f‐SP) and 8 with IP (f‐IP); 7 males with SP (m‐SP) and 7 with IP (m‐IP). Girls with IP reached the same final height of girls with SP (f‐IP 153.8 (4.3) versus f‐SP 154.4 (5.5) cm); p≫ 0.05) close to target height (f‐IP 155.9 (5.2) cm versus f‐SP 155.5 (3.6) cm). Girls with IP reached the final height at older chronological age (CA) (17.0 (0.6) y) than girls with SP (CA of 15.3 (0.7)y), but at the same bone age (BA) (f‐IP 15.1 (0.9)y versus f‐SP 14.8 (0.6)y). There was no difference between the two groups for pubertal growth (f‐SP 16.2 (7.7) cm versus f‐IP 12.2 (7.4) cm (p≫ 0.05)) that was negatively correlated with both prepubertal growth and BA at onset of puberty in both groups. Values of sitting height (sds) with respect to BA (SHsdsBA) were not significantly different between the two groups, and showed a worsening from the first observation to final height, reaching values around 2 SD, in both groups. Values of subischial leg length (sds) with respect to BA (SLLsdsBA) were in the normal range at both observations in all girls. High serum ferritin levels were observed in both groups (f‐SP 3189 (2296)ng/ml and f‐IP 3998 (2545)ng/ml; p≫ 0.05). Also boys with induced puberty reached the same final height of those with spontaneous one (m‐IP 160.9 (5.5) cm versus m‐SP 161.8 (2.4) cm; p≫ 0.05), but it was lower than target height in both groups (m‐IP 168.1 (4.1) cm versus m‐SP 169.6 (3.2) cm). Boys with IP reached final height at CA of 18.6 (1.1) y slightly older than boys with SP (CA 17.2 (0.9)y), but at the same BA (m‐IP 15.9 (1.5)y versus m‐SP 16.3 (0.8)y). Pubertal growth values were significantly different between boys with SP 18.9 (5.3) cm and those with IP 13.8 (4.9) cm (p < 0.05), but they were negatively correlated with prepubertal growth values in both groups (m‐SP r = 0.91; p < 0.002 and m‐IP r = 0.51; p < 0.05). SHsdsBA showed a worsening from the first observation to final height, reaching values around ‐3 SD in both groups, while SLLsdsBA were always in the normal range in all patients. Serum ferritin levels were higher in boys with IP (3400 (1179) ng/ml) than in those with SP (2020 (496) ng/ml).

Conclusions: Our data showed that: (a) patients of both sexes with induced puberty reached the same final height of patients with spontaneous puberty; (b) all patients showed a body disproportion with truncal shortening and normal leg length that was more severe in boys of both groups at final height; (c) body disproportion was independent of pubertal or prepubertal period of greater height gain, suggesting that sexual steroids replacement therapy did not adversely affect either final height or body disproportion. Further studies, focused on the pathogenesis of the truncal shortening, are necessary in order to acquire more insight into the causes of this impairment.