Abstract
Several studies have shown that growth hormone (GH) therapy improves the growth rate and improves adult height in patients with Turner's syndrome (TS). GH therapy was approved for TS girls in the Czech Republic since 1991.
Preliminary results of growth hormone therapy in Czech Turner girls are presented. One hundred and forty-seven Turner girls were included in the Czech GH Register by May 1st 1998.
At the start of GH therapy their chronological age (means +- SD) was 8.5 +- 3.5 years and bone age 7.6 +- 3.4 years. The height at the onset of therapy was -2.8 +- 0.8 SDS according to Czech standards and +0.2 +- 0.9 SDS according to specific Turner standards.
Girls were treated with recombinant GH with doses of 0.95 +- 0.17 IU/kg/week, given in 6 - 7 injections per week. None of the patients received oestrogens or androgens.
After 4 years of treatment, the height gain was +1.4 SDS according to the Czech standards, and +2.0 SDS according to Turner standards. The projected adult height increased from 147.7 +- 5.5 to 159.4 +- 5.8 cm.
The bone age did not improve significantly. No adverse effects were observed in the course of GH treatment.