[Results of the treatment of growth hormone deficiency with methionine-somatotropin or recombinant somatotropin].

Sixteen children with hGH deficiency were treated for a year with methionyl-somatotropin (Somatonorm) or recombinant-somatotropin (Genotropin). The hormone was administrated subcutaneously 3 time/week, 0.45-0.6 IU/kg/week. After a year of treatment, the mean growth rate in those who received Somatonorm increased from 3.96 +/- 0.8 cm/yr to 9.08 +/- 2.7 cm/yr, and in those who received Genotropin from 3.6 +/- 0.6 cm/yr to 8.58 +/- 1.1 cm/yr with no significant difference. No adverse effects were observed, but four children that received Somatonorm developed antihGH antibodies with a very low binding capacity, of less than 0.1 mg/L. All the children that received Genotropin were negative for antihGH antibodies.