UNFAVORABLE EFFECTS OF GROWTH-HORMONE THERAPY ON THE FINAL HEIGHT OF BOYS WITH SHORT STATURE NOT CAUSED BY GROWTH-HORMONE DEFICIENCY

A group of 18 boys with non-growth hormone (GH)-deficient short statur e without GH therapy (group A) and another group of 9 boys with non-GH -deficient short stature with GH therapy in doses of 0.5 IU (0.17 mg)/ kg per week administered 5 to 6 times weekly (group B) were observed u ntil they reached their final height. The mean duration of GH therapy was 4.2 years (range 3.2 to 5.0 years). These two groups were matched with respect to their standard deviation score (SDS) for bone age at t he start of observation. Mean +/- SD of the final height for group A a nd group B was 162.0 +/- 5.4 cm and 154.2 +/- 4.2 cm, respectively. Du ring the prepubertal period, height SDS for bone age of these two grou ps was not affected by GH therapy. During the pubertal period, however , height SDS for bone age remained constant for group A but decreased gradually for group B. Our observation indicates that for boys with no n-GH-deficient short stature GH therapy does not improve height SDS fo r bone age during the prepubertal period, and in fact reduces it durin g the pubertal period, possibly resulting in a shorter final height th an might have been attained naturally.