Adult height of girls with Turner syndrome treated from before six years of age with a fixed per kilo GH dose

Objective: To evaIuate adult height (AH) in 25 girls with Turner Syndrome (TS), who were treated from before 6 years orage for 10.0 ± 1.7 years witb a GH dose of0.33 mg/kglweek. Methods: After a 6-month pretreatment follow-up ali patients were 6-monthIy measured under therapy to assess height (H) and H velocity (HV) until AH achievement. Results: Following initial acccleration, HV significantly deelined after the first 4 years of therapy. At the end of the 6'" year or tberapy H delta was 1.9 ± 1.1 SOS. Thereafter H delta deereased, attaining its nadir at AH achievemcnt. Bone maturatiol1 vclocity did IlOt significantly change tbroughout the prepubertal periodo According to Lyon standards for TS, mean AH (SOS) was significanlly higher than pretreatment H (p = 0.00006), witb a meall H delta of 0.9 ± 0.9 SOS. However, the prevalence of palÌents with pathological H «-2 SOS according lO Sempé standards) at Ihe end oftreatment was close lo that recorded at therapy start (64% vs 72%). No significant differences in tenns of AH were found between patients with either X monosomy or X-chromosomal abnormalitics and betwecn girls wilh either spontaneous or induced puberty. Conclusions: We infer Ihat the therapeutic regimen adopted in this prospective study is sufficient lo induce a significant growth acceleralion during Ihe first years, whereas il is not sufficient lo prevent the subscquellt wanillg effect after initial height delta.