Effects of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analog-induced pubertal delay in growth hormone (GH)-deficient children treated with GH: Preliminary results

Abstract

To study the effect of delaying epiphyseal fusion on the growth of GH- deficient children, we studied 14 pubertal, treatment naive. GH-deficient patients (6 girls and 8 boys) in a prospective, randomized, placebo- controlled trial. Chronological age was 14.5 ± 0.5 yr, and bone age was 11.6 ± 0.3 yr (mean ± SEM) at the beginning of the study. Patients were assigned randomly to receive GH and LH-releasing hormone (LHRH) analog (n = 8) or GH and placebo (n = 6) during 3 yr, with planned continuation of GH treatment until epiphyseal fusion. Patients were measured with a stadiometer and had serum LHRH tests, serum testosterone (boys), serum estradiol (girls), and bone age performed every 6 months. Patients treated with GH and LHRH analog showed a clear suppression of their pituitary-gonadal axis and a marked delay in bone age progression. We observed a greater gain in height prediction in these patients than in the patients treated with GH and placebo after 3 yr of treatment (mean ± SEM, 14