Effect of Recombinant Human Growth Hormone on Urinary ¹⁵N-Nitrogen Balance in Girls with Turner Syndrome as Compared to Children with Growth Hormone Deficiency

Abstract

¹⁵N-nitrogen balances before and on human growth hormone (hGH) were studied in 13 girls with Turner syndrome (TS) aged 4.4–16 (median 13.2) years (45, X0 or equivalent, no X0/XX mosaicism, no estrogen replacement). The results were compared with those reported from 9 patients with growth hormone deficiency (GHD). The TS patients received subcutaneous hGH doses of 2 × 3 (group A, n = 6), 3 × 2 (group B, n = 3), or 2 × 6 (group C, n = 4) IU/m² on consecutive days. The mean ¹⁵N dose given to the patients of groups A and C was higher (13.6 mg/kg) than that given to those of group B (2.7 mg/kg). The lower hGH doses in the first two groups induced small positive mean ¹⁵N balance changes (+0.6 ± 0.6 mg/kg ¹⁵N, group A; +0.03 mg/kg, group B). The higher hGH dose in group C caused a more marked mean balance change (+3.0 mg/kg ¹⁵N) comparable to that in GHD patients (+3.2 mg/kg). Individual variation of response, however, was larger in patients with TS than in those with GHD. With low and high hGH doses, there were responders and nonresponders. It is concluded from this pilot study in a small number of cases that ¹⁵N balance studies might be potentially useful to choose the appropriate hGH dose for long-term treatment in TS patients.

Evaluation of a Mathematical Model for Predicting the Relationship between Protein and Energy Intakes of Low-Birth-Weight Infants and the Rate and Composition of Weight Gain

“…growth hormone, IGF-I). At present, data supporting the likelihood of success with the former maneuver are limited (3 1,32); the latter strategy, although effective in animals (33), older children (34), and adults (35), has not been evaluated in LBW infants.…”

Growth hormone treatment of Turner syndrome patients with insufficient growth hormone response to pharmacological stimulation tests

“…0,15 IU/kg per day) are required to accelerate height velocity [16,17,25,29]. Similarly, metabolic studies on the effect of hGH on urinary 15N-nitrogen balance also showed that TS patients require twice the dose of hGH to obtain an effect similar to that observed in patients with GH deficiency [19].…”

Interrelations between Growth Hormone and Sex Hormones: Physiology and Therapeutic Consequences

“…the balance became considerably more posi tive in the GH-dcficicnt patients [45], while in subjects with normal GH secretion, such as girls with Turner syn drome. it remained almost unchanged [46], When normal subjects were given testosterone, there was a marked l5N retention, which was in the same order of magnitude as that induced by hGH in the GH-deficient patients.…”