Responsiveness of human subjects to human growth hormone: Relation to bone age

Abstract

In 3 types of short children, the effect of 7 days' treatment with human growth hormone (hGH) on daily balances of N, P, Na and K and on body weight was measured. Group I consisted of 17 children with short stature (<3rd percentile) and retarded bone age (<80% of chronologic age) caused by growth hormone (GH) deficiency; Group IIa, 10 children with short stature, normal serum GH response to insulin and arginine, and normal bone age; Group IIb, 9 children with short stature, normal serum GH response to insulin and arginine, and retarded bone age. Four daily doses of hGH were used: A, 0.0168 U/kg body wt3/44; B. 0.0532 U/kg body wt3/4; C, 0.168 U/kg body wt3/4; D, 0.532 U/kg body wt3/4. At each dose, responses by Group I were 1.5 to 3 times greater than those of Group lib and responses of Group IIb were 3 to 4 times greater than those of Group IIa. The data show that in short children with normal serum growth hormone response to insulin and arginine, responsiveness to hGH is proportional to degree of retardation of bone age. © 1974 by The Endocrine Society.