Predictors of the response to growth hormone in short prepubertal children post-renal transplant. German Study Group for Growth Hormone Treatment in Children Post Renal Transplantation Study Group Members.
The growth response to recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) in post-renal transplantation children is variable. We sought to determine predictive factors of this variable effect of rhGH by analysis of a homogeneous group of 16 prepubertal children with a median age of 12.4 years (range 7.7-18.0 years). rhGH was given at 30 i.u./m2/week for at least one year. All children remained prepubertal during the study period. Height velocity increased from 2.5 +/- 0.4cm/year to 7.4 +/- 0.5cm/year after one year of treatment (p < 0.001). The growth response to rhGH (height velocity after one year of rhGH) was not significantly correlated with the dose of prednisolone administered (range 2.3-9.1mg/m2/day), graft function as estimated by creatinine clearances (range 19-88ml/min/1.73m2), the degree of stunting at baseline, baseline height velocity, or chronological age. However, a relatively tight inverse correlation was found between the growth response to rhGH and the degree of bone age delay (r = 0.73, p < 0.005). Hence, the degree of bone age delay appears to be a helpful clinical predictor of response to rhGH in short prepubertal children post-renal transplantation.
Tönshoff
B
B
Division of Pediatric Nephrology, University Children's Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
Haffner
D
D
Albers
N
N
Offner
G
G
Mehls
O
O
D000293:Adolescent; D001846:Bone Development; D002648:Child; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D006128:Growth / Q000187:drug effects; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011379:Prognosis
D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D011239:Prednisolone