HIGH-DOSE GROWTH-HORMONE THERAPY IN IDIOPATHIC SHORT STATURE

This article reviews the available data on the effect of growth hormon e (GH) administration on the growth of children with idiopathic short stature. The Ist year growth response appears clearly dose dependent, if the mean values from various clinical trials are combined. Dose dep endency has also been shown in prospective trials. The dose dependency of the long-term growth response was less convincing in a large prosp ective study. The effect on final height cannot be proven with certain ty in uncontrolled studies. If all available results from clinical tri als are combined, a positive correlation between response and dose app ears likely.