Recombinant human growth hormone therapy does not increase microalbuminuria in children with short stature.
OBJECTIVE
Concerns have been raised about possible adverse effects of growth hormone on renal function. We measured microalbuminuria as a sensitive index of early glomerular damage in children being treated with recombinant human growth hormone.


METHODS
Microalbuminuria was measured in a group of 17 children with short stature being treated with recombinant human growth hormone and in a group of 13 patients with idiopathic short stature not receiving therapy.


METHODS
Microalbuminuria was measured by a commercially available ELISA and urinary creatinines were determined using a Beckman creatinine analyser.


RESULTS
The level of microalbuminuria was 0.484 +/- 0.275 g albumin/mol creatinine (mean +/- SD) in the patients receiving growth hormone and 0.681 +/- 0.574 g albumin/mol creatinine in the untreated controls. There was no statistically significant difference between these values.


CONCLUSIONS
Treatment with recombinant human growth hormone does not cause an increase in microalbuminuria in children with normal renal function. This supports the safety of this medication in growth hormone deficient children with normal renal function.
Levine
D
D
Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Schneider Children's Hospital, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New Hyde Park, NY 11042.
Kreitzer
P
P
Freedman
S
S
Trachtman
H
H
D000419:Albuminuria / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D003404:Creatinine / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000652:urine; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000009:adverse effects
D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013006:Growth Hormone; D003404:Creatinine