ABSTRACT
Objective To assess the efficacy of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue(GnRHa)with or without recombinant human growth hormone(rhGH)treatment in Chinese short pubertal children with non-growth hormone deficiency.Methods Of 42 short pubertal children(14 males,28 females)without growth hormone deftcieney,the average age was(11.6±0.8)year.30 children were treated with slow release GnRHa with initial dose (100μg·kg-1·d-1,28d)and maintenance dose(60-80μg·kg-1·d-1,28d)labd rgGH with initial dose(0.15IU·kg-1·d-1)and maintenance dose(0.10-0.15IU·kg-1·d-1)for at least 1year.16 of them were still ongoing till the end of the second year.12 children were treated with GnRHa alone by initial dose(100μg·kg-1·d-1,28d)and maintenance dose (60-80μg·kg-1·d-1,28d),and 7 of them remained on it for 2 years.Dynamic changes including annual growth velocity(GV),bone age(BA)/chronologic age(CA)ratio,Tanner stage,height SDS for CA (HtSDSCA),height SDS for BA(HtSDSBA),and predicted adult height (PAHSDS)were observed.Results By the end of the first year tretment with combination therapy,the following parameters:GV,HtSDSCA,HtSDSBA,and PAHSDS all increased significantly(all P<0.05).Treatment with GnRHa alone did not yield significant changes in GV,HtSDSCA,HtSDSBA,and PAHSDS(all P>0.05).Changes in GV,HtSDSBA,and PAHSDS between these two groups were statistically significant(all P<0.05).By the end of the second year treatment,in the combination group,GV slowed from 6.7 to 5.5 cm/year(P<0.05).HtSDSCA,HtSDSBA,PAHSDS increased(all P<0.05).In the group with GnRHa treatment alone,GV slowed from 4.0 to 3.6 cm/year(P>0.05).HtSDSCA,HtSDSBA,PAHSDS increased(all P>0.05).Changes in GV,HtSDSCA,HtSDSBA,and PAHSDS between these 2 groups were statistically significant respectively(all P<0.05).Conclusion This combined treatment regimen significantly impreved the growth by increasing growth rate and delaying bone matumtion in pubertal chidren without growth hormone deficiency.Further study is needed to verify beneficial effects on the final height gain.