Abstrakt
Growth hormone (GH) has been used as a drug since 1956. Since mid-1980s, recombinant human growth hormone has been available for the treatment.
The recombinant production of GH has contributed to extending the indication of treatment and significantly increasing the number of treated patients. In the past 35 years, growth databases and registers have been used to monitor the physiological effects of growth hormone treatment in routine practice by collecting clinical data about treated patients.
The first and most extensive KIGS database contains data about more than 83,000 children. Based on this database, robust mathematical models have been developed, which are predicting the effects of growth hormone treatment.
The GeNeSIS database contains more than 22,000 children. Simultaneously it contributed to understanding the genetic etiology of growth hormone deficiency and to assessing the potential risks of therapy.
Nordinet(R) IOS has data on nearly 18,000 children. The last, smallest, but unique is the ECOS database, which, thanks to the web-based data collection about each injection, provide to assess the adherence and compliance of patients and their impact on the effect of therapy.
Growth databases and registers helped to understand the algorithms of growth hormone treatment, also contributed to its optimization and particularly to more effective use of financial means for the treatment.