The present invention relates to a method of treatment of patients by administration of human growth hormone. Also disclosed are DNA (or RNA) polynucleotide sequences that encode naturally occurring splice variants of human growth hormone, hGHV-2(88) and hGV-3(53), as well as analogs and derivatives thereof, which both lack nucleotide sequences normally present in the gene which codes for wild-type human growth hormone. The growth hormone variants of the present invention are of human origin and are useful for diagnostic, preventive and therapeutic purposes with respect to certain human diseases. Also disclosed is a method for producing the human growth hormone variants of the present invention by recombinant DNA techniques, as well as a method for generating antibodies directed against (and therefore inhibiting the activity of) wild-type growth hormone.