Do the intervals in growth hormone therapy positively affect the growth velocity?

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: A significant increase in growth velocity is observed during recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) therapy in patients with growth hormone deficiency (GHD), especially just after the beginning of treatment. This phenomenon is referred to as catch-up growth". After some time, the growth velocity decreases to the physiological value, i.e. the value that is observed in healthy children. The treatment is continued until the time of the growth process is completed. The continuity of the therapy makes it impossible to assess whether the catch-up phenomenon occurs only at the beginning of the treatment or may be observed after treatment cessation and its re-introduction. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Growth velocity was evaluated in a group of 35 patients with GHD after repeated therapy application, in which, due to non-medical reasons, the rhGH treatment was abandoned for a short time. RESULTS: Patients with GHD after treatment re-introduction presented the catch-up growth phenomenon and obtained growth velocity results that were significantly higher than those observed during primary treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Re-introduction of rhGH treatment after short-term therapy cessation leads to the re-occurrence of catch- up growth in patients with GHD.