COMPARATIVE GROWTH OUTCOMES OF LONG-ACTING AND SHORT-ACTING GROWTH HORMONE THERAPY IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS: A 12-MONTH RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS.

Abstract

Background: Growth hormone (GH) therapy is widely used for pediatric growth disorders, with short-acting (Saizen) and long-acting (Jintropin) formulations available. This study assesses height, weight, and bone age outcomes in children treated with Jintropin, Saizen, or a combination of both.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study (N=108) compared Jintropin (n=31), Saizen (n=50), and Combination Therapy (n=27). To control for baseline heterogeneity (age, puberty) and repeated measures, analyses used ANCOVA and LMM. Post-hoc comparisons used Bonferroni correction. Safety was evaluated by ΔBA/ΔCA ratio.

Results: Following multivariable LMM adjustment, the estimated marginal means for annualized GV were 9.30 cm/year (95% CI: 8.46-10.15) for Jintropin, 8.55 cm/year (95% CI: 7.90-9.20) for Saizen, and 9.56 cm/year (95% CI: 8.77-10.34) for Combination Therapy. Adjusted pairwise comparisons showed no significant efficacy differences between groups (Jintropin vs. Saizen: p=0.501; Combination vs. Saizen: p=0.160). Skeletal safety was confirmed across cohorts (ΔBA/ΔCA: 0.34, 0.46, 0.68), indicating no premature epiphyseal fusion.

Conclusion: Long-acting Jintropin monotherapy provides growth outcomes comparable and non-inferior to daily Saizen, offering a convenient, effective alternative that reduces injection burden. The non-standard combination of long- and short-acting GH showed no statistically superior benefits, suggesting such complex regimens are unnecessary in clinical practice.