Predicting the growth response to growth hormone (GH) treatment in prepubertal and pubertal children with isolated GH deficiency--model validation in an observational setting (GeNeSIS).

Aim: Validation of a preexisting mathematical model for predicting height velocity in the first year of growth hormone (GH) treatment, using an independent cohort of pediatric patients with confirmed GH deficiency (GHD).

Design: 210 prepubertal and pubertal patients with isolated GHD were enrolled within the 'growth prediction module' of a prospective international postmarketing research program (GeNeSIS).

Methods: The patients were grouped as 'prepubertal', at 'start of puberty' and 'pubertal', and the performance of the model was validated by comparing predicted and observed height velocity (HV) in the first treatment year for each group.