Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the patients

Age^a, year, mean ± SD

8.03 ± 2.67

8.57 ± 3.24

8.13 ± 2.63

8.38 ± 2.34

7.65 ± 2.69

0.036

Sex, N (%)

0.191

  Male

330 (64.71)

34 (72.34)

89 (68.99)

80 (66.12)

127 (59.62)

  Female

180 (35.29)

13 (27.66)

40 (31.01)

41 (33.88)

86 (40.38)

Ht SDS, mean ± SD

-2.69 ± 0.80

-2.77 ± 1.13

-2.73 ± 0.72

-2.60 ± 0.59

-2.69 ± 0.87

0.530

Weight SDS, mean ± SD

-1.39 ± 0.65

-1.32 ± 0.87

-1.34 ± 0.65

-1.37 ± 0.58

-1.44 ± 0.64

0.429

BMI SDS, mean ± SD

-0.36 ± 1.09

-0.24 ± 1.19

-0.22 ± 1.11

-0.47 ± 1.16

-0.40 ± 1.03

0.245

BA, mean ± SD

5.75 ± 2.25

5.96 ± 2.58

5.55 ± 2.27

6.31 ± 1.96

5.50 ± 2.26

0.009

BA/CA, median (IQR)

0.72(0.63 ~ 0.80)

0.72(0.60 ~ 0.79)

0.68(0.58 ~ 0.77)

0.77(0.69 ~ 0.82)

0.72(0.63 ~ 0.80)

 < .0001

IGF-1 SDS, median (IQR)

-0.93 (-1.42 ~ -0.43)

-0.88 (-1.38 ~ -0.37)

-1.00 (-1.48 ~ -0.43)

-0.99 (-1.38 ~ -0.65)

-0.87 (-1.39 ~ -0.35)

0.801

GH peak, µg/l, median (IQR)

6.11 (4.35 ~ 7.72)

5.70 (3.17 ~ 7.41)

5.66 (3.74 ~ 7.40)

6.86 (4.97 ~ 8.01)

6.17 (4.54 ~ 7.76)

0.004

GH peak, N (%)

0.023

   < 5 µg/l

171 (33.53)

20 (42.55)

56 (43.41)

31 (25.62)

64 (30.05)

  5-7 µg/l

146 (28.63)

14 (29.79)

34 (26.36)

33 (27.27)

65 (30.52)

  > 7 µg/l

193 (37.84)

13 (27.66)

39 (30.23)

57 (47.11)

84 (39.44)

Pituitary gland MRI l, N (%)

0.047

  Normal

485 (95.10)

42 (89.36)

122 (94.57)

120 (99.17)

201 (94.37)

Suspected Pituitary stalk blocking syndrome

25 (4.90)

5 (10.64)

7 (5.43)

1 (0.83)

12 (5.63)

Previously treated with GH, N (%)

35 (6.86)

3 (6.38)

6 (4.65)

5 (4.13)

21 (9.86)

0.145