Carbohydrate Metabolism during Long-Term Growth Hormone (GH) Treatment and after Discontinuation of GH Treatment in Girls with Turner Syndrome Participating in a Randomized Dose-Response Study

To assess possible side-effects of GH treatment with supraphysiologi-cal doses on carbohydrate (CH) metabolism in girls with Turner syn-drome (TS) during long term GH treatment and after discontinuation of GH treatment, the results of oral glucose tolerance tests and hemoglobin A1c measurements were analyzed in 68 girls with TS participating in a randomized dose-response trial. These previously untreated girls, aged 2–11 yr, were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 GH dosage groups: group A, 4 IU/m2zday (;0.045 mg/kgzday); group B, first year,4 IU/m2zday; there-after, 6 IU/m2zday (;0.0675 mg/kgzday); group C, first year, 4 IU/m2zday; second year, 6 IU/m2zday; thereafter, 8 IU/m2zday (;0.090 mg/kgzday). After the first 4 yr, girls 12 yr of age or older started with 5 mg/kg BWzday 17b-estradiol for induction of puberty. To assess the effects of long term high dose GH treatment on CH metabolism, the 7-yr data from the oral glucose tolerance tests in 9 girls of group C were evaluated (group C1).