Effect of estrogen therapy on the growth of Turner Syndrome girls treated with growth hormone.

Two groups of patients with Turner Syndrome (TS) were studied to analyse th e effect of estrogens on their growth. Group 1 (G1): 14 patients treated wi th growth hormone (GH) who started estrogens (SO) (Premarin((R))) at 15.3 /- 0.9 years old. Group 2 (G2): 10 girls not treated with GH who started Pr emarin((R)) at 14.3 +/- 2.3 years old. Height SDS improvement in periods of time of GH and GH plus estrogen treatment was evaluated and compared betwe en both groups. The gain in stature during estrogen therapy (final height-p rojected height at SO) was calculated. In G1 multiple regression was used t o examine factors influencing the gain in stature during GH treatment (fina l height-projected height at the start of GH): bone age at the SO, chronolo gical age at the SO and the time of GH treatment prior to SO. In G1 the hei ght SDS improvement was 0.43 +/- 0.11 cm during GH treatment and 0.59 +/- 0 .18 cm during GH plus oestrogens (p = 0.064). The height SDS improvement du ring estrogen therapy in G2 was 0.14 +/- 0.19 cm, smaller than in G1 (p < 0 .001). Gain in stature during estrogen therapy was 5.3 +/- 1.8 cm in G1 and -0.6 +/- 4.2 cm in G2 (p = 0.001). In GI the time of GH treatment prior to SO was the strongest predictor of the gain in stature during GH treatment (r = 0.89).