Improved final height with long-term growth hormone treatment in Noonan syndrome.

Abstract

AIM:

To assess whether children with Noonan syndrome on long-term growth hormone (GH) therapy improve their final height to near mid-parental height.

METHODS:

Twenty-five prepubertal children (13 girls) with Noonan syndrome (NS) were studied. A single clinician made the diagnosis based on clinical criteria. GH treatment started at an age ranging from 3.1 to 13.8 y and was continued for at least 2 y. Improvement or "gain" in final height (FH) was defined as either the difference between adult height SD scores (SDS) and pre-treatment height SDS (the childhood component of the Swedish reference) or height SDS compared to the Noonan reference.

RESULTS:

Ten children received a GH dose of 33 microg/kg/d (mean age at start 7.7+/-2.1 y, mean age at stop 17.6+/-1.7 y) and 15 received a dose of 66 microg/kg/d (mean age at start 8.6+/-3.3 y, mean age at stop 18.4+/-2.1 y). Eighteen out of 25 patients reached FH. A substantial improvement in FH of 1.7 SDS, equivalent to 10.4 cm compared to pre-treatment height, was observed. No significant difference was seen between the two GH doses. Females gained a mean height of 9.8 cm and males 1-13 cm (FH 174.5+/-7.8 cm vs mean adult height of 162.5+/-5.4 cm for males with NS) at final height. Moreover, 60% reached a mid-parental height of+/-1 SD.

CONCLUSION:

GH treatment improves final height in patients with Noonan syndrome, with a mean gain of 1.7 SDS. The prepubertal height gain is maintained to final height and the children achieve a height close to their mid-parental height.

• Authors: Deborah Osio, Jovanna Dahlgren, Kerstin Albertsson Wikland, Otto Westphal
• Journal: Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992) (Acta Paediatr) Vol. 94 Issue 9 Pg. 1232-7 (Sep 2005) ISSN: 0803-5253 [Print] Norway
• PMID: 16203673 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Growth Hormone

Topics

• Adolescent
• Body Height (drug effects)
• Child
• Child, Preschool
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Female
• Growth Hormone (therapeutic use)
• Humans
• Infant
• Male
• Noonan Syndrome (drug therapy)
• Puberty (drug effects)
• Sweden
• Treatment Outcome