A prospective study of therapeutic effect of recombinant human growth hormone in idiopathic growth hormone deficient children before adolescence

Objective To assess the efficacy of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH), produced by Shanghai Institute of Cell Biology, in idiopathic growth hormone deficient (IGHD) children before puberty. Methods This noncomparative multicentre prospective study included 63 children (7 girls and 56 boys) with IGHD, who were treated with daily sc injections of rhGH (0.1 IU/kg) before sleep for six months. Results The mean height, mean growth velocity and mean height SDS increased from (119.7±11.8)cm, (2.9±0.9)cm/year and -4.8±1.7 to (126.7±114.4)cm, (14.0±3.2)cm/year and -3.9±1.6, respectively (P0.05). Atthesametime,the mean weight also increasedstrikingly, but no advanced bone maturation was noted. During the course of rhGHtherapy,therewere39.7%,22.4% and 7.9% patients suffering from subclinical hypothyroidism, local reactions in injection sites and slight increment of the serum ALT levels respectively. All of these phenomena had no effect of their linear body growth. Conclusion rhGH appears an effective and safe drug for promoting growth in IGHD.