Abstract 546

A previous study demonstrated the efficacy and safety of one year of GHRH 1-29 therapy in 84 prepubertal GHD children treated with 30 µg/kg s.c. given at bedtime. In that study, 27 children (basal HV = 4.40 ± 1.06 cm/y) were GHRH poor responders (ΔHV < 2 cm/y). Up to 60 days after GHRH had been stopped, GH therapy was initiated at a dose of 0.2 mg/kg/week. Data (up to year 5) are shown for patients who stayed on therapy through each annual timepoint (table; data expressed as mean ± SD; * indicates p < 0.03 vs. baseline;# indicates p < 0.05 vs. unity)

Table 1 No caption available.
Full size table

Peak GH following s.c. and i.v. (1 µg/kg) GHRH 6 and 12 months respectively during the period of GHRH therapy correlated inversely (r = -0.420, p = .03, r = -0.506, p = 0.046) with HV after 12m of GH. Change in bone age/change in height age exceeded unity in years 3 and 5 only. Auxological changes in children treated 3× per week (n= 13) were not different than those treated 6-7× per week(n= 14). Conclusions: 1) GHD children poorly responsive to 6-12 months of Geref® therapy show an excellent response to low doses of GH treatment, with a positive trend in catch-up growth during all five years of treatment. 2) GH responses to GHRH testing 6-12 months following initial Geref® treatment may predict first year growth to GH treatment.

F.T.M., J.M.G., H.L., J.B., C. McN., and L. O'D are Serono employees. All other authors are members of the Geref National Study Group.