LONG-TERM GROWTH-HORMONE (GH)-RELEASING HORMONE AND BIOSYNTHETIC GH THERAPY IN GH-DEFICIENT CHILDREN - COMPARISON OF THERAPEUTIC EFFECTIVENESS

Twenty-five GH-deficient children were treated with GHRH (1-44), once daily sc for 6–24 months. At the 6th month of therapy, 40% of our patients showed a catch-up growth (responded), while the remaining 60% did not (nonre-sponders). No differences in auxological and biological variables at inclusion were found between the two groups. However, integrated GH secretion elicited by iv GHRH at inclusion was significantly (p<0.025) higher in responders than in non responded. During GHRH therapy, no significant increase in IGF 1/SmC was found in both groups. In all patients treatment was discontinued after 6–24 months, when its effect on growth rate failed. After a wash-out period of at least 6 months, patients were submitted to biosynthetic GH therapy. After 6 months of GH treatment a significant catch-up growth was found in both responder and non-responder children. Although the majority of GH-deficient children have hypothalamic rather than pituitary dysfunction, GHRH therapy is found to be less effective than GH treatment. Other methods of GHRH administration are worth investigating. © 1990, Italian Society of Endocrinology (SIE). All rights reserved.