Background/Aims: In some adolescents with constitutional delay of growth and puberty (CDGP), the reduction in relative height (height SDs) starts already in childhood, before puberty. Some subjects with CDGP do not reach their target height (TH). We investigated whether early height SD reduction or testosterone treatment in low doses (1–2 mg/kg/month) influence final height (FH). Methods: The growth of 70 adult men with a history of CDGP was investigated. 31 subjects (13 treated with testosterone) had progressive height SD reduction between 3 and 9 years, and in 39 (17 treated with testosterone) no such reduction was seen. Results: In untreated subjects without early height SD reduction, FH was closer to TH than in those with such reduction (FH – TH 0.05 ± 0.94 vs. –0.63 ± 0.50 SD, p = 0.009). FH – TH did not differ between the testosterone-treated and untreated subjects in the group with early height SD reduction (FH – TH –0.36 ± 0.48 vs. –0.63 ± 0.50 SD, p = 0.15), nor in the group without such reduction (FH – TH –0.08 ± 0.70 vs. 0.05 ± 0.94 SD, p = 0.64). Conclusion: Subjects with early height SD reduction do not attain FH consistent with their genetic height potential, whereas those without such reduction do. Treatment with low doses of testosterone does not adversely affect FH.

Keywords:
Final adult height, Target height, Childhood growth pattern, Constitutional delay of growth and puberty
1.
Tanner JM, Whitehouse RH: Clinical longitudinal standards for height, weight, height velocity, weight velocity, and stages of puberty. Arch Dis Child 1976;51:170–179.
2.
Tanner JM, Davies PS: Clinical longitudinal standards for height and height velocity for North American children. J Pediatr 1985;107:317–329.
3.
Albanese A, Stanhope R: Investigation of delayed puberty. Clin Endocrinol 1995;43:105–110.
4.
Du Caju MV, Op De Beeck L, Sys SU, Hagendorens MM, Rooman RP: Progressive deceleration in growth as an early sign of delayed puberty in boys. Horm Res 2000;54:126–130.
5.
Rensonnet C, Kanen F, Coremans C, Ernould C, Albert A, Bourguignon JP: Pubertal growth as a determinant of adult height in boys with constitutional delay of growth and puberty. Horm Res 1999;51:223–229.
6.
Volta C, Ghizzoni L, Buono T, Ferrari F, Virdis R, Bernasconi S: Final height in a group of untreated children with constitutional growth delay. Helv Paediatr Acta 1988;43:171–176.
7.
Bramswig JH, Fasse M, Holthoff ML, von Lengerke HJ, von Petrykowski W, Schellong G: Adult height in boys and girls with untreated short stature and constitutional delay of growth and puberty: accuracy of five different methods of height prediction. J Pediatr 1990;117:886–891.
8.
Arrigo T, Cisternino M, Luca De F, Saggese G, Messina MF, Pasquino AM, De Sanctis V: Final height outcome in both untreated and testosterone-treated boys with constitutional delay of growth and puberty. J Pediatr Endocrinol 1996;9:511–517.
9.
Sperlich M, Butenandt O, Schwarz HP: Final height and predicted height in boys with untreated constitutional growth delay. Eur J Pediatr 1995;154:627–632.
10.
Crowne EC, Shalet SM, Wallace WH, Eminson DM, Price DA: Final height in boys with untreated constitutional delay in growth and puberty. Arch Dis Child 1990;65:1109–1112.
11.
LaFranchi S, Hanna CE, Mandel SH: Constitutional delay of growth: expected versus final adult height. Pediatrics 1991;87:82–87.
12.
Albanese A, Stanhope R: Does constitutional delayed puberty cause segmental disproportion and short stature? Eur J Pediatr 1993;152:293–296.
13.
Albanese A, Stanhope R: Predictive factors in the determination of final height in boys with constitutional delay of growth and puberty. J Pediatr 1995;126:545–550.
14.
Wilson DM, Kei J, Hintz RL, Rosenfeld RG: Effects of testosterone therapy for pubertal delay. Am J Dis Child 1988;142:96–99.
15.
Martin MM, Martin AL, Mossman KL: Testosterone treatment of constitutional delay in growth and development: effect of dose on predicted versus definitive height. Acta Endocrinol 1986;279:147–152.
16.
Zachmann M, Studer S, Prader A: Short-term testosterone treatment at bone age of 12 to 13 years does not reduce adult height in boys with constitutional delay of growth and adolescence. Helv Paediatr Acta 1987;42:21–28.
17.
Kelly BP, Paterson WF, Donaldson MD: Final height outcome and value of height prediction in boys with constitutional delay in growth and adolescence treated with intramuscular testosterone 125 mg per month for 3 months. Clin Endocrinol 2003;58:267–272.
18.
Tanner JM, Whitehouse RH, Marubini E, Resele LF: The adolescent growth spurt of boys and girls of the Harpenden growth study. Ann Hum Biol 1975;3:109–126.
19.
Greulich WW, Pyle SI: Radiological Atlas of Skeletal Development of the Hand and Wrist, ed 2. Stanford, Stanford University Press, Stanford/London, Oxford University Press, 1959.
20.
Sorva R, Lankinen S, Tolppanen EM, Perheentupa J: Variation of growth in height and weight of children. II. After infancy. Acta Paediatr Scand 1990;79:498–506.
21.
Sorva R, Tolppanen EM, Lankinen S, Perheentupa J: Growth evaluation: parent and child specific height standards. Arch Dis Child 1989;64:1483–1487.
22.
Butenandt O, Bechtold S, Meidert A: Final height in patients with constitutional delay of growth and development from tall statured families. J Pediatr Endocrinol 2005;18:165–169.
23.
Brooks-Gunn J, Warren MP, Rosso J, Gargiulo J: Validity of self-report measures of girls’ pubertal status. Child Dev 1987;58:829–841.
24.
Pietilainen KH, Rissanen A, Laamanen M, Lindholm AK, Markkula H, Yki-Jarvinen H, Kaprio J: Growth patterns in young adult monozygotic twin pairs discordant and concordant for obesity. Twin Res 2004;7:421–429.
25.
Rowland ML: Self-reported weight and height. Am J Clin Nutr 1990;52:1125–1133.
26.
Macgregor S, Cornes BK, Martin NG, Visscher PM: Bias, precision and heritability of self-reported and clinically measured height in Australian twins. Hum Genet 2006;120:571–580.
27.
Gunnell D, Berney L, Holland P, Maynard M, Blane D, Frankel, S, Smith GD: How accurately are height, weight and leg length reported by the elderly, and how closely are they related to measurements recorded in childhood? Int J Epidemiol 2000;29:456–464.
28.
Mauras N, Haymond MW, Darmaun D, Vieira NE, Abrams SA, Yergey AL: Calcium and protein kinetics in prepubertal boys. Positive effects of testosterone. J Clin Invest 1994;93:1014–1019.
29.
Bertelloni S, Baroncelli GI, Battini R, Perri G, Saggese G: Short-term effect of testosterone treatment on reduced bone density in boys with constitutional delay of puberty. J Bone Miner Res 1995;10:1488–1495.
30.
Arslanian S, Suprasongsin C: Testosterone treatment in adolescents with delayed puberty: changes in body composition, protein, fat, and glucose metabolism. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1997;82:3213–3220.
31.
Schroor EJ, van Weissenbruch MM, Knibbe P, Delemarre-van de Waal HA: The effect of prolonged administration of an anabolic steroid (oxandrolone) on growth in boys with constitutionally delayed growth and puberty. Eur J Pediatr 1995;154:953–957.
32.
Joss EE, Schmidt HA, Zuppinger KA: Oxandrolone in constitutionally delayed growth, a longitudinal study up to final height. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1989;69:1109–1115.
33.
Bassi F, Neri AS, Gheri RG, Cheli D, Serio M: Oxandrolone in constitutional delay of growth: analysis of the growth patterns up to final stature. J Endocrinol Invest 1993;16:133–137.
34.
Wickman S, Sipila I, Ankarberg-Lindgren C, Norjavaara E, Dunkel L: A specific aromatase inhibitor and potential increase in adult height in boys with delayed puberty: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2001;357:1743–1748.
35.
Hero M, Wickman S, Dunkel L: Treatment with the aromatase inhibitor letrozole during adolescence increases near-final height in boys with constitutional delay of puberty. Clin Endocrinol 2006;64:510–513.
© 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel
2007
Copyright / Drug Dosage / Disclaimer
Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated into other languages, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, microcopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Drug Dosage: The authors and the publisher have exerted every effort to ensure that drug selection and dosage set forth in this text are in accord with current recommendations and practice at the time of publication. However, in view of ongoing research, changes in government regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to drug therapy and drug reactions, the reader is urged to check the package insert for each drug for any changes in indications and dosage and for added warnings and precautions. This is particularly important when the recommended agent is a new and/or infrequently employed drug.
Disclaimer: The statements, opinions and data contained in this publication are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publishers and the editor(s). The appearance of advertisements or/and product references in the publication is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality or safety. The publisher and the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content or advertisements.
You do not currently have access to this content.