Post graft development of short children treated with growth hormone before kidney graft

Byline: D. Simon (1), Myriam Rosilio (2), Anne Maisin (3), Michel Remesy (4), Veronique Baudouin (3), Chantal Loirat (3), Paul Czernichow (1) Keywords: Key wordsaChronic renal failure; Renal transplantation; Growth; Puberty; Recombinant human growth hormone therapy; Steroid therapy; Final height Abstract: Sixteen prepubertal patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) were given daily recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) treatment (1.2 IU/kg per week) for 2.6+-1.6 years until kidney transplant. Therapy was then discontinued and the patients followed for a further 3.5+-1.4 years. During treatment, mean height increased from --3.0+-0.9 standard deviation score (SDS) to --1.9+-1.4 SDS (P&lt 0.001) at the time of transplantation, corresponding to a mean height gain of +1.2+-0.9 SDS. After discontinuation of rhGH therapy, prepubertal children continued a partial catch-up growth with a height gain of +0.5+-0.8 SDS for the follow-up period. Conversely, negative changes of height were observed in pubertal transplanted children: --0.5+-0.4 SDS in patients grafted at early stages of puberty (P2--P3) and --0.15+-0.9 SDS in patients grafted at late stages of puberty (P4--P5). These data confirmed the benefit of rhGH therapy in CRF patients. Nevertheless, only early initiation of rhGH treatment led some of these patients to their target height at transplantation, thus preserving their potential growth. Reinitiation of rhGH therapy after transplantation should be considered in order to complete catch-up growth to target height in prepubertal children. Author Affiliation: (1) Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology Unit, Robert Debre Hospital, 48 Boulevard Serurier, F-15019 Paris, France e-mail: dominique.simon@rdb.ap-hop-paris.fr Tel.: +33-1-40032000 (extension 3386), Fax: +33-1-40032429, FR (2) Lilly Laboratories, Saint-Cloud, France, FR (3) Pediatric Nephrology Unit, Robert Debre Hospital, Paris, France, FR (4) Pediatric Nephrology Unit, Purpan Hospital, Toulouse, France, FR Article note: Received: 23 July 1998 / Revised: 8 December 1998 / Accepted: 13 December 1998