Childhood growth hormone treatment in women with Turner syndrome - benefits and adverse effects

Turner syndrome (TS) is characterized by the partial or complete loss of one sex chromosome and results in growth failure, gonadal insufficiency and cardiac anomalies. Treatment with growth hormone (GH) during childhood has indisputable benefits when taking into account the low stature of TS women. Medical records and biochemical findings of 33 TS women treated with GH in childhood (GH+) were compared to those of 124 TS women who did not receive GH (GH-). It seems that the GH-treated group might have had a more severe initial phenotype than the untreated group, as evidenced by higher FSH, more feeding issues in infancy, more lymphedema cases and urinary system malformations. GH+ women were significantly taller and had a better lipid profile and lower prevalence of arterial hypertension than GH-. However, they also had lower thrombocyte counts, a greater prevalence of retrognathism and nail anomalies, especially when the GH treatment was delayed. Long-term GH use was not as effective for growth as GH treatment during the initial period and seemed to have resulted in elevated creatinine levels. GH treatment in childhood has benefits in adulthood; however, adverse effects may occur, especially in individuals with treatment that is delayed or is too long.