Treatment of Turner's syndrome with recombinant human growth hormone (somatrem)

This report extends to 3 years the prospective study of the effects of somatrem alone or in combination with oxandrolone on growth in Turner's syndrome. Sixty-seven patients completed the 1-year study period during which all treatment groups had statistically increased height velocities as compared to the control group. Oral glucose tolerance and insulin responses remained unchanged after 1 year of somatrem treatment. The group receiving oxandrolone experienced an increase in integrated glucose response and the group receiving combined therapy an increase in both integrated glucose and insulin responses. During the second and third years the somatrem group remained on the same dose and treatment schedule and grew at mean velocities of 5.4 +/- 1.1 and 4.6 +/- 1.4 cm/year. The dose of oxandrolone was reduced by 50% during the second and third years for the combination group. The somatrem dose remained unchanged. This group had height velocities of 7.4 +/- 1.4 cm and 6.1 +/- 1.5 cm/year. The control group and the group treated with oxandrolone alone were converted to combined therapy at the lowered oxandrolone dose. Their growth rates during the second year were 8.3 +/- 1.2 and 7.1 +/- 1.6 cm/year, respectively. Using bone age determinations and the methods of Bayley and Pinneau, all groups currently show predicted increases in final adult height.