Abstract
Purpose: Growth retardation is a common complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in children. Treatment with recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) has been used to help short children with CKD to attain a height more in keeping with their age group, but the scientific evidence regarding the effect of rhGH on final height is scarce. Methods: Final heights of children with CKD receiving rhGH treatment (cases) were compared with final heights of a matched cohort of children with CKD that did not receive rhGH therapy (controls). Results: Sixty-eight rhGH-treated cases (44 boys) were compared with 92 untreated controls (60 boys). Mean duration of rhGH therapy was 4.2 ± 0.9 years; rhGH dose was 0.3 ± 0.07 mg/kg/week. Height SDS at baseline was lower in rhGH-treated patients than in controls (−2.00 ± 1.02 versus −0.96 ± 1.11, p < 0.001). Baseline height SDS was significantly lower than target height SDS in both groups. Height SDS significantly improved from baseline to final height attainment in rhGH-treated patients, while it slightly decreased in controls (mean SDS variation 0.69 ± 1.05 in rhGH-treated cases versus −0.15 ± 1.2 in controls). Final height SDS was −1.25 ± 1.06 in rhGH-treated cases and −1.06 ± 1.17 in controls (p = 0.29). Target adjusted final height SDS was −0.91 ± 1.03 in rhGH-treated cases and −0.61 ± 1.17 in controls (p = 0.1). Conclusions: Long-term rhGH therapy is able to reduce the linear growth deceleration of children with CKD, and ultimately to improve their final height, reducing the difference with target height.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 325-331 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Journal of Endocrinological Investigation |
Volume | 41 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - Aug 17 2017 |
Keywords
- Child
- Chronic kidney disease
- Growth hormone
- Height
- Nutritional status
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
- Endocrinology