Aims: To determine the presence of abnormal body proportion, assessed by sitting height/height ratio for age and sex (SH/H SDS) in healthy and short individuals, and to estimate its role in selecting short children for SHOX analysis. Methods: Height, sitting height and weight were evaluated in 1,771 healthy children, 128 children with idiopathic short stature (ISS), 58 individuals with SHOX defects (SHOX-D) and 193 females with Turner syndrome (TS). Results: The frequency of abnormal body proportion, defined as SH/H SDS >2, in ISS children was 16.4% (95% CI 10-22%), which was higher than in controls (1.4%, 95% CI 0.8-1.9%, p < 0.001). The SHOX gene was evaluated in all disproportionate ISS children and defects in this gene were observed in 19%. Among patients with SHOX-D, 88% of children (95% CI 75-100%) and 96% of adults had body disproportion. In contrast, SH/H SDS >2 were less common in children (48%, 95% CI 37-59%) and in adults (28%, 95% CI 20-36%) with TS. Conclusion: Abnormal body proportions were observed in almost all individuals with SHOX-D, 50% of females with TS and 16% of children considered ISS. Defects in SHOX gene were identified in 19% of ISS children with SH/H SDS >2, suggesting that SH/H SDS is a useful tool to select children for undergoing SHOX molecular studies.

Homozygosity for the GHR-exon3 full-length allele and/or the -202C-IGFBP3 allele are associated with less favorable short- and long-term growth outcomes after rhGH treatment in patients with TS.

The SOCS2 polymorphism (rs3782415) has an influence on the adult height of children with TS and GHD after long-term rhGH therapy. Polymorphisms located in GHR, IGFBP3, and SOCS2 loci have an influence on the growth outcomes of TS and GHD patients treated with rhGH. The use of these genetic markers could identify among rhGH-treated patients those who are genetically predisposed to have less favorable outcomes.

Insulin-like growth factor type 1 (IGF1) is a mediator of growth hormone (GH) action, and therefore, IGF1 is a candidate gene for recombinant human GH (rhGH) pharmacogenetics. Lower serum IGF1 levels were found in adults homozygous for 19 cytosine-adenosine (CA) repeats in the IGF1 promoter. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of (CA)n IGF1 polymorphism, alone or in combination with GH receptor (GHR)-exon 3 and -202 A/C insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP3) polymorphisms, on the growth response to rhGH therapy in GH-deficient (GHD) patients. Eighty-four severe GHD patients were genotyped for (CA)n IGF1, -202 A/C IGFBP3 and GHR-exon 3 polymorphisms. Multiple linear regressions were performed to estimate the effect of each genotype, after adjustment for other influential factors. We assessed the influence of genotypes on the first year growth velocity (1st y GV) (n=84) and adult height standard deviation score (SDS) adjusted for target-height SDS (AH-TH SDS) after rhGH therapy (n=37). Homozygosity for the IGF1 19CA repeat allele was negatively correlated with 1st y GV (P=0.03) and AH-TH SDS (P=0.002) in multiple linear regression analysis. In conjunction with clinical factors, IGF1 and IGFBP3 genotypes explain 29% of the 1st y GV variability, whereas IGF1 and GHR polymorphisms explain 59% of final height-target-height SDS variability. We conclude that homozygosity for IGF1 (CA)19 allele is associated with less favorable short- and long-term growth outcomes after rhGH treatment in patients with severe GHD. Furthermore, this polymorphism exhibits a non-additive interaction with -202 A/C IGFBP3 genotype on the 1st y GV and with GHR-exon 3 genotype on adult height.

Objectives: to describe the clinical epidemiological and care profiles of pediatric patients with sickle cell disease. Methods: a descriptive study of all (48) children and adolescents with sickle cell disease, assisted at a public referral hospital in Paraíba State. The information were obtained from the patients’ medical records and interviews were analyzed by using the Epi-Info program 7.2 version, frequency tables were built for the categorical variables and the central measurements and dispersion tendencies were calculated for the variables related to age and hospitalizations. Results: the patients’ age ranged from 15 months to 19 years old (median 8.6 years old); 91.7% considered their skin color mixed/black; 81.3% belong to D and E social class; 48% of the responsible guardians reported to have less than nine years of schooling; 70.9% lived in other cities; 93.8% received late diagnosis and 87.5% had irregular outpatient follow-up, 62,5% had an incomplete or outdated vaccination record. There were 226 hospitalizations; painful crises were the most common causes (55.7%). Each patient was hospitalized, about 5.2 times in the period; the median of total days for being hospitalized was 28. There were no deaths. Cardiac (56.2%) and hepatobiliary (54.3%) were the most common chronic compli-cations. Conclusions: sickle cell disease is a neglected clinical condition in the Brazilian Northeast region, where the appropriate political support for the patients is not fulfilled.

<b><i>Context:</i></b> Treatment with growth hormone (GH) is considered effective in improving adult height (AH) in Turner syndrome (TS). However, there are few studies comparing AH between treated patients and a concurrent untreated group. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> To assess the efficacy of GH treatment in improving AH in TS and to review previous published studies with treated and untreated groups. <b><i>Participants and Methods:</i></b> We retrospectively analyzed clinical data and AH of a large cohort of GH-treated (<i>n</i> = 168) and untreated (<i>n</i> = 131) patients with TS. Data are shown as median and interquartile range (IQR). We assessed pretreatment variables related with AH and compared our results with 16 studies that also included an untreated group. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The GH-treated group was 6.2 cm taller than the untreated group (AH = 149 cm [IQR 144.5–152.5 cm] vs. 142.8 cm [IQR 139–148 cm], <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001) after 4.9 years of GH treatment with a dose of 0.35 mg/kg/week. AH SDS corrected for target height (TH) was 7.2 cm higher in GH-treated patients. AH SDS ≥−2 was more frequent in GH-treated patients (43%) than in untreated patients (16%, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001). AH SDS was also more frequently within the TH range in the GH-treated group (52%) than in the untreated group (15%, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001). Height SDS at start of GH therapy and TH SDS were positively correlated with AH (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001; <i>R</i>² = 0.375). Considering the current result together with previous similar publications, a mean AH gain of 5.7 cm was observed in GH-treated (<i>n</i> = 696) versus untreated (<i>n</i> = 633) patients. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Our study strengthens the evidence for efficacy of GH therapy in patients with TS from different populations.

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Background: Short stature is the most frequent clinical manifestation in Turner syndrome (TS), occurring in 98% of these patients. Growth hormone was shown to improve adult height in TS patients from diverse genetic backgrounds. However, there are few studies on adult height in TS patients from developing countries, where the diagnosis is frequently delayed. Objective: To compare adult height between GH-treated and untreated TS patients. Patients and methods: 120 GH-treated and 109 GH-untreated TS patients from 3 referral hospitals in Brazil were evaluated. The most common reasons for not treating TS patients with GH were late diagnosis or GH unavailability. Data on karyotype, parents’ height, puberty development and GH treatment were obtained from their medical records. Adult height was determined when growth velocity was inferior to 1cm/year during a minimum follow-up period of 12 months. Results: The frequency of 45,X karyotype was similar between the groups (48.7% vs. 41.9% in GH-treated vs. GH-untreated TS patients, respectively, P= 0.639). GH-treated TS patients started GH therapy at a chronological age (CA) of 11.2 ± 3.7 yr, bone age of 9.3 ± 3.1 yr, height SDS (British 1965 standards) -3.1 ± 1.1. GH mean dose was 48µg/kg.d and GH treatment duration was 5.4 ± 3.0 yr. Estrogen replacement was started late, at CA of 14.3 ± 2.0 yr in GH-treated and at 14.9 ± 1.9 yr in GH-untreated patients, and the rate of spontaneous puberty was similar between the groups (GH-treated 16.8% vs. GH-untreated 22,8%, P=0.304). Adult height was significantly higher after GH treatment (150.1 ± 5.8 cm vs. 143.3 ± 7.2 cm in GH-treated vs. untreated TS patients, respectively, P &lt; 0.001), even with a small but significant difference in target height between the groups (158.2 ± 4.8 vs. 159.8± 4.5 cm in GH-treated vs. untreated TS patients, respectively, P= 0.015). More than half of the TS GH-treated patients reached normal adult height (equal or higher than 150.2 cm), whereas only 15.6% of GH-untreated patients reached it. Conclusion: Despite the delayed diagnosis of TS patients in our cohort, GH treatment was associated with a significant height gain, and the TS GH-treated group was around 7 cm taller than the GH-untreated group.