Growth hormone is used to increase height in short children who are not deficient in growth hormone, but its efficacy varies largely across individuals. The genetic factors responsible for this variation are entirely unknown. In two cohorts of short children treated with growth hormone, we found that an isoform of the growth hormone receptor gene that lacks exon 3 (d3-GHR) was associated with 1.7 to 2 times more growth acceleration induced by growth hormone than the full-length isoform (P < 0.0001). In transfection experiments, the transduction of growth hormone signaling through d3-GHR homo-or heterodimers was ∼30% higher than through fulllength GHR homodimers (P < 0.0001). One-half of Europeans are hetero-or homozygous with respect to the allele encoding the d3-GHR isoform, which is dominant over the full-length isoform. These observations suggest that the polymorphism in exon 3 of GHR is important in growth hormone pharmacogenetics.

Summary:We studied pubertal status and ovarian function in 21 girls aged 11-21 years who had earlier received 1.2-13 years (median 7 years) high-dose chemotherapy and autologous BMT without TBI for malignant tumors. Ten of them were given busulfan (600 mg/m 2 ) and melphalan (140 mg/m 2 ) with or without cyclophosphamide (3.6 g/m 2 ). Eleven others did not receive busulfan. Twelve girls (57%) had clinical and hormonal evidence of ovarian failure. Among nine others who had completed normal puberty, six had normal gonadotropin levels, one had elevated gonadotropin levels and two had gonadotropin levels at the upper limit of normal. The 10 girls who received busulfan all developed severe and persistent ovarian failure. High-dose busulfan is therefore a major cause of ovarian failure even when given in the prepubertal period. These findings emphasize the need for long-term endocrine follow-up of these patients in order to initiate estrogen replacement therapy. Keywords: ovarian function; high-dose chemotherapy; bone marrow transplantation; busulfan; childhood Increasing numbers of children who receive hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT) for malignancies now survive. It is therefore important to evaluate ovarian toxicity secondary to the therapeutic regimens. New chemotherapy protocols will have to aim towards effecting long-term survival with minimal late morbidity. Chemotherapy is used alone or in combination with total body irradiation. Total body irradiation, used in the preparative regimens for hematologic malignancies, is deleterious to gonadal function. 1,2 Myeloablative therapy consisting of cyclophosphamide, busulfan or melphalan, has been used as an alternative to avoid the side-effects of irradiation on endocrine functions and growth. 1,3,4 Cytotoxics are known to induce ovarian toxicity in adults, dependent upon type of agent, dosage, administration schedule and patient age. 5-7 Much less is known about the effects of high-dose chemotherapy on ovarian function in children. 2,8,9 We report an analysis of ovarian function in long-term survivors following myeloablative chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation. Patients and methodsWe screened all long-term female survivors older than 11 years who had received high-dose chemotherapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation without abdominal or pelvic radiation for malignant tumors at Institut Gustave Roussy. Twenty-one girls fulfilled these criteria.At time of transplantation, they were aged 2-17 years (median 9 years). Pubertal development was evaluated clinically according to Tanner. 10 Fourteen girls were prepubertal (stage 1), two were undergoing puberty (stage 3) and five had regular menses (stage 5). No hormonal evaluation was carried out before chemotherapy, but pubertal stages of all the patients were appropriate for their age.The study took place 1.2-13 years (median 7 years) after bone marrow transplantation and discontinuation of chemotherapy. At time of study, girls were aged 11.5-21 years (median 14.5 years).Serum concentrations of 17...

reaching an aetiological diagnosis in cases of male intersex is difficult because of the variability of individual cases. Hormonal tests may help to discriminate between partial androgen insensitivity and gonadal dysgenesis/true hermaphroditism but are of less use for differentiating from unexplained male pseudohermaphroditism. Sequencing of exons 2-8 of the androgen receptor after study of testosterone precursors following human chorionic gonadotrophin stimulation is recommended when gonadal dysgenesis and true hermaphroditism can be excluded.

Among anthropometric factors, BSA plays a dominant role in thyroid cancer risk and explains the apparent role of BMI.