Growth hormone:Ahormonemadeinthepituitary glandthat stimulates the release of another hormone called somatomedin by the liver, thereby causing growth. Also known assomatotropin。Growth hormoneis produced by theanterior pituitarygland, the frontsectionof the gland, and is apolypeptidethat consists of 191amino acids。Growth hormone is given to children withpituitarydwarfism (short stature due to underfunction of theanteriorpituitary) to help them grow. Excessive growth hormone production in children can lead togigantism, and in adults it can lead toacromegaly。
The USFood and Drug Administration(FDA) in 2003 approved a new use forHumatrope, a biosynthesized brand ofhuman growthhormone, for the long-term treatment of children withidiopathic(of unknown origin) short stature, also called non-growth hormone deficient short stature. "Short stature" has been defined by the AmericanAssociationofClinicalEndocrinologists and the Growth Hormone Research Society as height more than 2 standard deviations (SD) below the mean for age and sex. This corresponds to the shortest 2.3% of children. This newindicationrestrictstherapyto children who are even shorter, specifically more than 2.25 SD below the mean for age and sex, or the shortest 1.2% of children. For example, for 10-year old boys and girls, this would correspond to heights of less than 4' 1"inch。这将进一步对应高度的更少than 5' 3" and 4' 11" in adult men and women, respectively. In clinical studies, the drug added several inches to the children's eventual height.
