Objective      To investigate the differences in clinical efficacy and safety of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) in treating Chinese children with different causes of short stature.   Methods       From August 2005 to October 2015

73 children (43 males and 30 females

aged 9.5±3.3) with growth hormone deficiency (GHD)

56 children (22 males and 34 females

aged 8.9±2.7) with idiopathic short stature (ISS)

50 children (aged 9.9±2.9) with Turner syndrome (TS) and 21 children (8 males and 13 females

aged 9.9±2.9) with small for gestational age (SGA) were enrolled from the endocrine clinics of  the children’s hospital. The height (Ht)

growth velocity (GV)

height standard deviation score (Ht SDS)

body mass index (BMI)

body mass index standard deviation score (BMI SDS)

bone age (BA)

final adult height (FAH) and side effects were observed during 2~4 years of rhGH treatment.    Results        The GVs of the enrolled children were significantly increased in the first year treatment

reaching 11.23±2.63

9.91±1.67

8.45±1.83 and 9.78±1.72 cm/year

respectively

and then decreased progressively during the succeeding treatment. The Ht SDSs of the enrolled children were improved year by year

and the change of Ht SDS (ΔHt SDS) in the children with GHD (2.12±1.12) was greater than that in the children with ISS (1.51±0.82)

TS (1.23±0.73)

and SGA (2.07±1.04). The FAH in some of the enrolled children was documented and found to be close to their target height. After 2~4 years of rhGH treatment

the BMI and BMI SDS of the enrolled children were slowly increased. During 2~4 years of rhGH treatment

the BA and puberty of the enrolled children didn’t advance

and side effects were rare.    Conclusion      The rhGH treatment can effectively promote growth in the children with GHD

ISS

TS and SGA. However

the efficacy of rhGH differs greatly in the children with different causes of short stature. The children with GHD show the most obvious effect

followed by the children with SGA

ISS and TS.