Recombinant human growth hormone treatment in children with thalassemia major

Pediatr Int. 1999 Dec;41(6):655-61. doi: 10.1046/j.1442-200x.1999.01139.x.

Abstract

Background: To evaluate the growth hormone reserve and the growth hormone response to recombinant human growth hormone (GH) in prepubertal thalassemic children with growth retardation.

Methods: Twenty thalassemic patients with short stature and delayed bone age were studied. Patients were randomized into GH-treated (n = 10) and non-GH treated (control; n = 10) groups. The GH-treated group received recombinant human (rh)-GH (Genotropin) at the dose of 0.7 IU/kg per week for 12 months.

Results: There was a significant discordance between GH response to pharmacologic stimuli and physiological secretion of GH/GHRH testing. Following the administration of rhGH, growth velocity increased from 2.47 +/- 0.48 cm/year to 6.27 +/- 0.76 cm/year (P = 0.005), whereas there was not a similar change in the non-GH-treated group. The height velocities of the two groups during the 1 year follow-up period were significantly different (6.27 +/- 0.76 vs 3.99 +/- 0.34 cm/year; P = 0.025). There were significant differences between the height velocity improvements and height velocity standard deviation scores of the two groups as well.

Conclusion: The present study has demonstrated that rhGH is a safe and efficacious mode of treatment in thalassemic children.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Body Height*
  • Child
  • Female
  • Growth Disorders / complications*
  • Growth Disorders / drug therapy*
  • Human Growth Hormone / therapeutic use*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Recombinant Proteins / therapeutic use*
  • Statistics, Nonparametric
  • beta-Thalassemia / complications*

Substances

  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Human Growth Hormone