Growth hormone as a new treatment modality for short children with chronic renal failure. The German Study Group for Growth Hormone Treatment in Chronic Renal Failure.
Recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) has become a new treatment modality for short children with chronic renal failure (CRF) and after renal transplantation. The rationale for high-dose rhGH treatment is the insensitivity of the uremic organism to GH. As the insensitivity to GH is expressed more in end-stage renal failure than in earlier stages of CRF, patients on dialysis respond less to rhGH. In transplanted children, rhGH can counterbalance the growth-depressing effects of corticosteroids. In prepubertal children, rhGH improves the height standard deviation score by a mean of +2 within 5 years. The effect of rhGH treatment on final height remains to be studied.
Mehls
O
O
Division of Pediatric Nephrology, University Children's Hospital of Heidelberg, Germany.
Haffner
D
D
Wühl
E
E
Tönshoff
B
B
Schaefer
F
F
Heinrich
U
U
D002648:Child; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006435:Renal Dialysis
D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019382:Human Growth Hormone