Growth response of Egyptian children with idiopathic short stature during four years of growth hormone therapy

Background: Multiple factors affect the growth response to recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) in children with idiopathic short stature (ISS). Aim: To evaluate the growth responses of children with ISS treated with rhGH, aiming to identify the predictors of growth response. Materials and Methods: We studied 120 cases, 90 males (75%), with a mean age of 13.8±2.7 years and 30 females (25%), with a mean age of 12.3±2.5 years. All patients received rhGH with a standard dose of 20 IU /m2 /week. The calculated dose per week was divided into six days and given subcutaneous at night. Results: A significant positive trend was detected in the delta changes of all anthropometric data. For the first year, the growth response was positively correlated to CA and BA delay and negatively correlated to height, weight and IGF-1 SDSs. For the second year, the growth response was correlated positively to first year growth velocity, BA, triceps skin fold thickness SDS and deviation from target height, and negatively correlated to weight, IGFBP3 SDS and target height SDS. For the third year, the growth response was positively correlated to five variables namely target height, 2nd year growth velocity, IGF-1 SDS, weight SDS and triceps skin fold thickness SDS. For the fourth year, growth response was positively correlated to 2nd and 3rd year growth velocity, BA, deviation from target height and weight/ height SDS. Conclusion: Our study showed multiplicity of predictors that is responsible for response in ISS children treated with rhGH, and BA was an important predictor.