Non-conventional growth hormone therapy in Turner syndrome: the United States experience

Beginning in 1983, 71 girls with Turner syndrome were enrolled in a prospective, randomized study of human growth hormone (hGH), alone and in combination with oxandrolone; 4-5 patient-year data are currently available on 66 subjects. While the annual growth rate of the untreated control group (expressed as a Z score for untreated Turner girls) was -0.1 SD, the annual Turner growth rate Z scores for girls receiving hGH alone were +3.1, +2.0, +1.5 and +2.9 SD for years 1-4, respectively (hGH was given daily in year 4). mean annual Turner growth rate Z scores for subjects on combination therapy with oxandrolone were +6.6, +4.3, +3.0 and +2.7 SD for years 1-4, respectively. The mean height for the 20 subjects greater than or equal to 16 years of age is 150 cm.