Results of Turner Syndrome Treatment with Recombinant Human Growth Hormone in Albania

Abstract

Background: There is no doubt that the use of rhGH in patients with TS brings satisfactory results regarding the improvement of height growth, realizing the improvement of the final adult height. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of the type/characteristic of the genetic anomaly on sex chromosome X on the outcome of treatment with rhGH among Albanian children diagnosed with TS. Methods and Results: This analytical-observational study was conducted at the Pediatric Endocrine Unit at University Hospital Centre Mother Teresa in Tirana, the only one of its kind treating TS pediatrics in Albania. Only TS patients who had attained near-adult height (NAH) by December 2023 were included in the analysis of this study. Near-adult height was obtained for 44(72.1%) patients. The mean age of starting treatment was 12.68±3.03 years. After a treatment duration of 3.60±2.26 years, the patients recovered 0.88±0.56 in height-for-age Z-score (HAZ), resulting in HAZ at the end of treatment of -2.73±0.87. They achieved their NAH of 144.56±6.53cm. Conclusion: Despite starting treatment late, our patients managed to gain 17.70±12.53cm in length. The progression of height improvement under rhGH treatment showed differences between chromosomal groups. The non-monosomy group had better results regarding NAH and HAZ at the treatment's end than the monosomy group.

Keywords

• turner syndrome
• karyotype
• rhgh
• height-for-age z-score
• near-adult height