AN EARLY RISE IN URINE N-TELOPEPTIDE PREDICTS THE GROWTH-RESPONSE OF NORMAL PREPUBERTAL SHORT CHILDREN TO GROWTH-HORMONE THERAPY

The effects of growth hormone (GH) therapy on biochemical markers of b one turnover were investigated in 11 short prepubertal children withou t GH deficiency by measuring serum osteocalcin, a marker for bone form ation, and urinary concentrations of pyridinium cross-linked amino aci ds of collagen (PCL), and the peptide-bound pyridinoline residue N-tel opeptide (NT), which are specific markers for bone resorption, GH trea tment for three months increased bone turnover in this group of childr en: urinary PCL concentrations increased from 69+/-6.2 to 114+/-9.3 nm ol/mmol Cr (p<0.01), and urinary NT levels increased from 512+/-65 to 766+/-74 pmol BCE/mu mol Cr (p=0.058), Serum osteocalcin concentration s increased from 13.64 +/-2.57 ng/ml to 26.45+/-1.39 ng/ml (p<0.01). T he increment in 12-hour urinary concentrations of PCL was highly corre lated with the increment in 12-hour urinary NT levels (r=0.92, p<0.01) , Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that the urinary conc entrations of NT after 3 months of GH therapy were the best predictor of growth after 12 months of treatment (r=0.78, F=7.9, p=0.037).