Recombinant human growth hormone post-renal transplantation in children: a randomized controlled study of the NAPRTCS

Over Three Decades of Growth Hormone Treatment in Children With Chronic Kidney Disease-Associated Growth Failure Before and After Kidney Transplantation

BACKGROUND

Growth retardation and short final height is a common complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD) beginning in childhood, with profound deleterious effects on quality of life, mental health, and social achievement. Despite optimal treatments of causative factors for growth retardation in children with CKD, more than 50% of patients reach end-stage renal failure with a height >2 SD below the mean, and most do not demonstrate "catch-up" growth after receiving a kidney transplant. Four decades ago, recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) treatment was introduced after studies showed increased growth velocity and improved height SDS in uremic subjects. Since then, an abundance of published data showed significant improvements in health-related quality of life, and most studies revealed no significant adverse effects. Clinical practice guidelines recommended rhGH treatment in CKD Stages 3-5D and after transplantation. Despite these guidelines, this therapy remained underutilized. Most commonly cited barriers to the implementation of rhGH treatment were the need for daily injections, financial challenges, physicians' unfamiliarity with guidelines, and fear of adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS

rhGH has been shown to improve growth and final height in short children with CKD, with minimal adverse effects. Despite data of its successful use generated over 3 decades, this treatment is underutilized. More judicious utilization of the treatment should emphasize educating patients, their care givers, and members of the multidisciplinary treating team. Additional studies are needed to assess the longer-term rhGH treatment in larger cohorts of patients, leading to additional supportive data and clearer recommendations.

Long-term Catch-up Growth and Risk Factors for Short Adult Height After Pediatric Liver Transplantation: A Retrospective Study

BACKGROUND

Children requiring liver transplantation generally have severe growth retardation. Recipients experience posttransplantation catch-up growth, although some show short adult heights. We aimed to determine decades-long catch-up growth trends and risk factors for short adult height following liver transplantation.

METHODS

We analyzed long-term height Z scores and risk factors for short adult height in a single-center retrospective cohort of 117 pediatric liver transplantation recipients who survived >5 y, with 75 of them reaching adult height.

RESULTS

Median age at transplantation was 1.3 y, and the most common primary diagnosis was biliary atresia (76.9%). Mean height Z scores pretransplantation and 1, 3, and 8 y after transplantation were -2.26, -1.59, -0.91, and -0.59, respectively. The data then plateaued until 20 y posttransplantation when mean adult height Z score became -0.88, with a median follow-up of 18.6 y. Nineteen recipients did not show any catch-up growth, and one quarter of recipients had short adult height (<5th percentile of the healthy population). Multivariate analysis identified old age (odds ratio, 1.22 by 1 y; P = 0.002), low height Z scores at transplantation (odds ratio, 0.46 by 1 point; P < 0.001), and posttransplantation hospital stay ≥60 d (odds ratio, 4.95; P = 0.015) as risk factors for short adult height. In contrast, prolonged steroid use after transplantation was not considered a significant risk factor.

CONCLUSIONS

Although tremendous posttransplantation catch-up growth was observed, final adult height remained inadequate. For healthy physical growth, liver transplantation should be performed as early as possible, before growth retardation becomes severe.

Summary of Expert Opinion on the Management of Children With Chronic Kidney Disease and Growth Failure With Human Growth Hormone

Background: The management of children and adolescents with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and growth failure candidate for recombinant human growth hormone therapy (rhGH) is based on an appraisal of the literature established on a 2006 consensus statement and 2019 Clinical practice recommendations. The performance of these guidelines has never been tested. Aims: The objective of this study was to establish the level of adherence to international guidelines based on the 2006 consensus and the 2019 criteria that lead to the initiation of growth hormone treatment by both pediatric endocrinologists and pediatric nephrologists. Methods: A multidisciplinary team of pediatric endocrinologists and pediatric nephrologists, members of the Italian Society of Pediatric Endocrinology or of the Italian Society of Pediatric Nephrology, discussed and reviewed the main issues related to the management of pediatric patients with CKD who need treatment with rhGH. Experts developed 11 questions focusing on risk assessment and decision makings in October 2019 and a survey was sent to forty pediatric endocrinologists (n = 20) and nephrologists (n = 20) covering the whole national territory. The results were then analyzed and discussed in light of current clinical practice guidelines and recent recommendations. Results: Responses were received from 32 of the 40 invited specialists, 17 of whom were pediatric endocrinologists (42.5%) and 15 pediatric nephrologists (37.5%). Although all the centers that participated in the survey agreed to follow the clinical and biochemical diagnostic work-up and the criteria for the treatment of patients with CKD, among the Italian centers there was a wide variety of decision-making processes. Conclusions: Despite current guidelines for the management of children with CKD and growth failure, its use varies widely between centers and rhGH is prescribed in a relatively small number of patients and rarely after kidney transplantation. Several raised issues are not taken into account by international guidelines and a multidisciplinary approach with mutual collaboration between specialists will improve patient care based on their unmet needs.

Liver Transplant for Posthepatectomy Liver Failure in Hepatoblastoma

OBJECTIVES

Predicting the risk of posthepatectomy liver failure is important when performing extended hepatectomy. However, there is no established method to evaluate liver function and improve preoperative liver function in pediatric patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We show the clinical features of pediatric patients who underwent living donor liver transplant for posthepatectomy liver failure in hepatoblastoma. The subjects were 4 patients with hepatoblastoma who were classified as Pretreatment Extent of Disease III, 2 of whom had distal metastasis (chest wall and lung).

RESULTS

Hepatic right trisegmentectomy was performed in 3 patients and extended left hepatectomy in 1 patient. The median alpha-fetoprotein level at the diagnosis of hepatoblastoma was 986300 ng/mL (range, 22500-2726350 ng/mL), and the median alpha-fetoprotein level before hepatectomy was 8489 ng/mL (range, 23-22500 ng/mL). The remnant liver volume after hepatectomy was 33.3% (range, 20% to 34.9%). Four patients had cholangitis after hepatectomy and progressed to posthepatectomy liver failure. The peak serum total bilirubin after hepatectomy was 11.4 mg/dL (range, 8.7-14.6 mg/dL). Living donor liver transplant was performed for these 4 patients with posthepatectomy liver failure, and they did not have a recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

When the predictive remnant liver volume by computed tomography-volumetry before extended hepatectomy for patients with hepatoblastoma is less than 40%, the possibility of posthepatectomy liver failure should be recognized.

Linear Growth in Pediatric Kidney Transplant Population

Introduction: Growth retardation is one of the main complications of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in children and induces a negative impact on quality of life. Materials and Methods: Retrospective analysis of all consecutive patients younger than 18 years old who received a first KT in our center between 2008 and 2018. Results: 95 first KT recipients, median age at KT of 7.83 years. At the time of KT, 65.52% of males and 54.05% females showed normal height. After transplantation, linear growth improved from -1.53 at transplant to -1.37 SDS height at the last visit. We detected a different linear growth pattern according to patient age at KT. Children younger than 3 years old exhibited the most significant growth retardation at baseline and the greatest linear growth over time (-2.29 vs. -1.82 SDS height), whereas catch-up was not observed in older patients. Multivariate analysis showed that use of corticosteroids was negatively related to SDS height at 1 year after transplantation and final SDS height only was positively associated with SDS height at KT. 44.2 and 22.1% patients received rhGH treatment before and after KT. 71.88% patients reached adulthood with normal final height. Conclusions: In our study, pediatric KT recipients exhibited a normal height in more than half of cases at KT and in more than two thirds at the final adult height. Only children younger than 6 years old presented a relevant growth catch-up after KT. Treatment with rhGH was used before and after KT with significant improvement in height.

Clinical practice recommendations for growth hormone treatment in children with chronic kidney disease

Achieving normal growth is one of the most challenging problems in the management of children with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Treatment with recombinant human growth hormone (GH) promotes longitudinal growth and likely enables children with CKD and short stature to reach normal adult height. Here, members of the European Society for Paediatric Nephrology (ESPN) CKD–Mineral and Bone Disorder (MBD), Dialysis and Transplantation working groups present clinical practice recommendations for the use of GH in children with CKD on dialysis and after renal transplantation. These recommendations have been developed with input from an external advisory group of paediatric endocrinologists, paediatric nephrologists and patient representatives. We recommend that children with stage 3–5 CKD or on dialysis should be candidates for GH therapy if they have persistent growth failure, defined as a height below the third percentile for age and sex and a height velocity below the twenty-fifth percentile, once other potentially treatable risk factors for growth failure have been adequately addressed and provided the child has growth potential. In children who have received a kidney transplant and fulfil the above growth criteria, we recommend initiation of GH therapy 1 year after transplantation if spontaneous catch-up growth does not occur and steroid-free immunosuppression is not a feasible option. GH should be given at dosages of 0.045–0.05 mg/kg per day by daily subcutaneous injections until the patient has reached their final height or until renal transplantation. In addition to providing treatment recommendations, a cost-effectiveness analysis is provided that might help guide decision-making.

This Evidence-Based Guideline developed by members of the European Society for Paediatric Nephrology CKD-MBD, Dialysis and Transplantation working groups presents clinical practice recommendations for the use of growth hormone in children with chronic kidney disease on dialysis and after renal transplantation.

Growth of pediatric recipients after renal transplantation from small pediatric deceased donors weighing less than 15 kg

RTx is currently the best treatment for children with ESRD. This study retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of growth after RTx using the pediatric-to-pediatric allocation strategy and some factors that may affect it. From March 2012 to August 2016, 8 en bloc and 38 single pediatric RTxs were performed at our center using organs from small pediatric deceased donors (weight < 15 kg). Growth before and after RTx was analyzed according to the height-for-age z-score at RTx, the 3-year follow-up, and adulthood and compared between the procedures. The chi-square test and multiple linear regression analysis were used for statistical analyses. Overall, 79.2% of children were diagnosed with chronic nephritis before RTx; 14.6% of cases were due to congenital urinary tract malformation, and 6.3% of cases were due to unknown causes. All grafts and patients survived postoperatively. The mean estimated GFRs were 92.7 ± 28.6 mL/min/1.73 m² , 100.9 ± 32.3 mL/min/1.73 m² , and 110.1 ± 34.8 mL/min/1.73 m² at 1, 2, and 3 years' postoperatively, respectively. The children's postoperative growth and development, particularly during the first year postoperatively, improved but were negatively correlated with age and the height-for-age z-score before RTx. The growth of children after RTx was moderate and accelerated during prepubescence. The rate of post-RTx growth during the first year postoperatively was unrelated to the recipient's sex or duration of dialysis (P > 0.05) but was negatively correlated with age at RTx (r = -0.349, P = 0.043). Future studies on the long-term outcomes are still needed.

State-of-the-art immunosuppression protocols for pediatric renal transplant recipients

Immunosuppressive protocols used in pediatric kidney transplantation have changed substantially within the last decade. Many transplant centers now focus on the use of tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil in combination with early steroid withdrawal, frequently combined with antibody induction therapy. However, this approach is mainly based on treatment efficacy and-compared to other immunosuppressive regimens used in this context-leads to higher rates of viral infections in patients. In this review I assess data from prospective, interventional trials of immunosuppressive therapy in pediatric kidney transplantation. However, since there is a paucity of randomized controlled trials, I also describe the results of studies with weaker designs. The advantages and disadvantages of different immunosuppressive strategies are discussed. Within this framework I suggest ideas for individualized immunosuppressive regimens based on different stratificators that could effect a change from a 'one size fits all' to a tailored approach for initial and maintenance immunosuppressive therapy after renal transplantation in the pediatric setting.

Growth hormone treatment improves final height and nutritional status of children with chronic kidney disease and growth deceleration

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.

Special Considerations in Pediatric Kidney Transplantation

Universally accepted as the treatment of choice for children needing renal replacement therapy, kidney transplantation affords children the opportunity for an improved quality of life over dialysis therapy. Immunologic and surgical advances over the last 15 years have improved the pediatric patient and kidney graft survival. Unique to pediatrics, congenital genitourinary anomalies are the most common primary diseases leading to kidney failure, many with urological issues. Early urological evaluation for post-transplant bladder dysfunction and emphasis on immunization adherence are the mainstays of pediatric pretransplant and post-transplant evaluations. A child's height can be challenging, sometimes requiring an intra-abdominally placed graft, particularly if the patient is <20 kg. Maintenance immunosuppression regimens are similar to adult kidney graft recipients, although distinctive pharmacokinetics may change dosing intervals in children from twice a day to thrice a day. Viral infections and secondary malignancies are problematic for children relative to adults. Current trends to reduce/remove corticosteroid therapy from post-transplant protocols have produced improved linear growth with less steroid toxicity; although these studies are still ongoing, graft function and survival are considered acceptable. Finally, all children with a kidney transplant need a smooth transition to adult clinics. Future research in pertinent psychosocial aspects and continued technological advances will only serve to optimize the transition process. Although some aspects of kidney transplantation are similar in children and adults, for instance immunosuppression and immunosuppressive regimens, and rejection mechanisms and their diagnosis using the Banff criteria, there are important differences this review will focus on and which continue to drive innovation.

Growth hormone therapy in children with CKD after more than two decades of practice

This review focuses on the evidence for the efficacy and safety of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) therapy in children with all stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and at all ages. It describes the improving height prognosis for our patients both with and without rhGH; explains the underlying hormonal abnormalities that provide the rationale for rhGH use in CKD and the endocrine changes that accompany treatment; and views on who warrants treatment, with what dose, and how long for.

The consequences of pediatric renal transplantation on bone metabolism and growth

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

During childhood, growth retardation, decreased final height and renal osteodystrophy are common complications of chronic kidney disease (CKD). These problems remain present in patients undergoing renal transplantation, even though steroid-sparing strategies are more widely used. In this context, achieving normal height and growth in children after transplantation is a crucial issue for both quality of life and self-esteem. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of pathophysiology of CKD-mineral bone disorder (MBD) in children undergoing renal transplantation and to propose keypoints for its daily management.

RECENT FINDINGS

In adults, calcimimetics are effective for posttransplant hyperparathyroidism, but data are missing in the pediatric population. Fibroblast growth factor 23 levels are associated with increased risk of rejection, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. A recent meta-analysis also demonstrated the effectiveness of rhGH therapy in short transplanted children.

SUMMARY

In 2013, the daily clinical management of CKD-MBD in transplanted children should still focus on simple objectives: to optimize renal function, to develop and promote steroid-sparing strategies, to provide optimal nutritional support to maximize final height and avoid bone deformations, to equilibrate calcium/phosphate metabolism so as to provide acceptable bone quality and cardiovascular status, to correct all metabolic and clinical abnormalities that can worsen both bone and growth (mainly metabolic acidosis, anemia and malnutrition), promote good lifestyle habits (adequate calcium intake, regular physical activity, no sodas consumption, no tobacco exposure) and eventually to correct native vitamin D deficiency (target of 25-vitamin D >75 nmol/l).

Growth, chronic kidney disease and pediatric kidney transplantation: is it useful to use recombinant growth hormone in Colombian children with renal transplant?

Kidney transplantation has become the best treatment for children with chronic kidney disease (CKD). In recent times, knowledge concerning the effect of CKD and kidney transplantation over the normal growth rate has increased; now it is known that 40% of children with CKD do not reach the expected height for age. Growth retardation has been associated with the type of nephropathy, metabolic and endocrine disorders that are secondary to kidney disease, immunosuppressive therapy with glucocorticoids, and suboptimal function of renal allograft. Nowadays, we know better the role of the growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor 1 axis in growth retardation we can see it in children with CKD or recipients of renal allograft. Several studies have shown that administration of recombinant growth hormone (rhGH) has a positive effect on the longitudinal growth of children and teenagers who have received a kidney transplant. On the other hand, there have been reported side effects associated with using rhGH; however, these are not statistically significant. In this article, we show a small review about growth in children with CKD and/or recipients of renal allografts the growth pattern of three children who were known by the Transplant Group of National University of Colombia, and the results obtained with the use of rhGH in one of these cases. We want to show the possibility of achieving a secure use of rhGH in children with CKD and its use as a therapeutic option for treating the growth retardation in children with kidney transplantation, and set out the need of typifying the growth pattern of Colombian children with CKD and/or who are recipients of renal allografts through multicenter studies to propose and analyze the inclusion of rhGH in the therapeutic scheme of Colombian children with these two medical conditions. rhGH could be a useful tool for treating children with CKD or kidney transplantation who have not reached the expected longitudinal growth for age. However, it is necessary to know the growth pattern standards for Colombian children with CKD or kidney transplant in Bogotá-Colombia to include the rhGH in clinical protocols for treatment of these patients.

Growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor-1, and the kidney: pathophysiological and clinical implications

Besides their growth-promoting properties, GH and IGF-1 regulate a broad spectrum of biological functions in several organs, including the kidney. This review focuses on the renal actions of GH and IGF-1, taking into account major advances in renal physiology and hormone biology made over the last 20 years, allowing us to move our understanding of GH/IGF-1 regulation of renal functions from a cellular to a molecular level. The main purpose of this review was to analyze how GH and IGF-1 regulate renal development, glomerular functions, and tubular handling of sodium, calcium, phosphate, and glucose. Whenever possible, the relative contributions, the nephronic topology, and the underlying molecular mechanisms of GH and IGF-1 actions were addressed. Beyond the physiological aspects of GH/IGF-1 action on the kidney, the review describes the impact of GH excess and deficiency on renal architecture and functions. It reports in particular new insights into the pathophysiological mechanism of body fluid retention and of changes in phospho-calcium metabolism in acromegaly as well as of the reciprocal changes in sodium, calcium, and phosphate homeostasis observed in GH deficiency. The second aim of this review was to analyze how the GH/IGF-1 axis contributes to major renal diseases such as diabetic nephropathy, renal failure, renal carcinoma, and polycystic renal disease. It summarizes the consequences of chronic renal failure and glucocorticoid therapy after renal transplantation on GH secretion and action and questions the interest of GH therapy in these conditions.

Growth in children with chronic kidney disease: role of nutrition, growth hormone, dialysis, and steroids

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have impaired growth that leads to short stature in adulthood. The problem persists even with successful transplantation and steroid withdrawal protocols. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the pressing issues related to growth failure in children with CKD both before and after transplantation.

RECENT FINDINGS

Although great strides have been made in dialysis and transplantation, the incidence of abnormal adult height in children growing up with CKD remains as high as 45-60%. The lack of catch-up growth and resultant short stature is a critical issue for self-esteem and quality of life in many children with CKD. Aggressive daily dialysis, improved nutrition, treatment of metabolic bone disease, and the use of recombinant human growth hormone provide some hope for catch-up growth in select patients.

SUMMARY

The causes of growth failure in the setting of CKD are multifactorial. Attention to all the details by optimizing nutritional, bone and mineral metabolism, correcting metabolic acidosis and anemia, achieving excellent blood pressure control, reversing cardiovascular complications such as left ventricular hypertrophy, and minimizing the use of corticosteroids is the current standard of care. Aggressive daily dialysis can reverse many of the uremic derangements. For patients not yet on dialysis or for those after renal transplant, early institution of recombinant human growth hormone can promote growth. Improved understanding of the mechanisms of hormone resistance may offer novel targets or measurements of treatment effectiveness.

Growth following solid organ transplantation in childhood

One of the ultimate goals of successful solid organ transplantation in pediatric recipients is attaining an optimal final adult height. This manuscript will discuss growth following transplantation in pediatric recipients of kidney, liver, heart, lung or small bowel transplants. Remarkably similar factors impact growth in all of these recipients. Age is a primary factor, with younger recipients exhibiting the greatest immediate catch-up growth. Graft function is a significant contributing factor, with a reduced glomerular filtration rate correlating with poor growth in kidney recipients and the need for re-transplantation with impaired growth in liver recipients. The known adverse impact of steroids on growth has led to modification of the steroid dose and even steroid withdrawal and avoidance. In kidney and liver recipients, this strategy has been associated with the development of acute rejection. In infant heart transplantation, avoiding maintenance corticosteroid immunosuppression is associated with normal growth velocity in the majority of patients. With marked improvements in patient and graft survival rates in pediatric organ recipients, quality of life issues, such as normal adult height, should now receive paramount attention. In general, normal growth following solid organ transplantation should be an achievable goal that results in normal adult height.

Growth hormone treatment after renal transplantation: a promising but underused chance to improve growth

Growth retardation remains a clinical problem in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) prior to and during end-stage renal disease. The growth of approximately 40 % of children on dialysis is stunted. Even so, growth hormone treatment (GH) is not used in the majority of small children prior to transplantation. Also, GH is effective in improving growth after transplantation, but again, it is only rarely used in this situation mainly for fear of triggering rejection episodes. In controlled studies, the number of patients who developed rejection episodes with GH was no greater than the number in untreated controls. However, patients with prior frequent rejection episodes developed further repeated subsequent rejection episodes. Many patients with repeated rejection episodes before GH treatment have reduced renal function and are expected to proceed to dialysis or retransplantation. We believe that in these patients, early individual decisions for or against GH treatment should be made as soon as other treatment strategies, such as steroid withdrawal, have failed or are not indicated. Decisions for GH treatment at a later pubertal age come too late for significant growth response and/or improvement of final height.

Growth hormone improves growth in pediatric renal transplant recipients--a systemic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Growth hormone had been applied to treat pediatric renal allograft recipients with growth retardation. In this systemic review and meta-analysis, we assess the efficiency and safety of growth hormone use in post-renal transplant children.

METHODS

A literature search revealed five prospective randomized controlled trials assessing this therapy, with a total of 401 patients. The outcomes, including the baseline height standard deviation score (HSDS), HSDS after a 1-year therapy, delta height standard deviation score (△HSDS), allograft rejection rates and changes in the glomerular filtration rates (GFR) were analyzed.

RESULTS

Pooled data of the five studies showed that 1 year after the randomized controlled trials, the experimental group receiving growth hormone had a significantly higher growth velocity than the control group, with a mean HSDS difference of 0.68 [95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.25-1.11, P = 0.002] between the two groups. The mean difference in the △HSDS between the treated and control group was 0.52 (95 % CI 0.37-0.68, P < 0.00001). The rejection episode rates were 35/205 and 19/185, respectively (number of patients with rejection/ total number of patients) (risk ratio 1.56, 95 % CI 0.97-2.53, P = 0.07), and the mean difference in the △GFR was 3.27 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) (95 % CI -3.54-10.09, P = 0.35), which was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on these studies, we suggest that the application of growth hormone is an effective treatment to promote the growth velocity of children after kidney transplantation. However, the safety of this treatment needs further evaluation.

Primer on renal transplantation

Renal transplantation transforms chronically ill children with end stage renal disease (ESRD) into near normal resulting in improvement in nutrition, growth, neurodevelopment and quality of life, and is the goal of therapy. However, the benefits of transplantation come at a price of life-long treatment with immunosuppressive medications, increased risk of infections and malignancy. Children younger than 10 y of age have the best, and adolescents have the worst 5-y graft survival likely due to non-adherence with medications in the adolescents. Long-term complications include ongoing issues related to chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality contributing to graft loss and shortened life expectancy, thus limiting the success of organ transplantation. Therefore, appropriate management of CKD and cardiovascular issues should be integral to the care of pediatric transplant patients. The other ongoing challenges include organ shortage, prevention and treatment of late acute rejections and chronic graft dysfunction, discovering reliable noninvasive immune monitoring tools, improving adherence, psychosocial rehabilitation, and the elusive goal of tolerance.

Effectiveness of rhGH treatment on final height of renal-transplant recipients in childhood

BACKGROUND

Growth retardation is a considerable clinical problem in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Optimization of metabolic and nutritional parameters does not always lead to improved growth. Recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) treatment has been used to improve height. Several studies in the literature have shown increased growth velocity, although data on the final height (FH) reached are scarce.

AIMS

We assessed the effect of rhGH on FH standard deviation score (SDS) in children with CKD following renal transplantation (RTx), comparing it with patients who did not receive rhGH (control group) but were treated with the same protocol and followed up in a single Center.

METHODS

Thirty-three patients received rhGH treatment until FH. Fourteen who refused rhGH therapy were included in the controls. Prognostic factors for FH and changes in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) during follow-up were also analyzed

RESULTS

FH SDS in rhGH-treated patients was significantly higher than in controls (-1.88 ± 1.14 vs -3.48 ± 1.19 SDS, respectively, p <0.05). In both groups, a similar reduction in GFR was observed. Height (SDS) at onset of rhGH treatment was the only statistically significant variable useful to predict response to treatment (p = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Our findings confirm that rhGH is effective to improve FH in CKD RTx patients, without affecting kidney function.

Growth hormone for children with chronic kidney disease

BACKGROUND

Growth retardation is a common complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in children and is of concern to families. Recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) treatment has been used to help short children with CKD attain a height more in keeping with their age group. However there are concerns about the long-term benefits of rhGH in significantly improving adult height as well as concerns about potential adverse effects (deterioration in native kidney function, increased acute rejection in kidney transplant recipients, benign intracranial hypertension).

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the benefits and harms of rhGH treatment in children with CKD.

SEARCH METHODS

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were identified from the Cochrane Renal Group's Specialised Register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (Issue 12, 2011), MEDLINE (from 1966), EMBASE (from 1980), article reference lists and through contact with local and international experts in the field.Date of last search: December 29, 2011

SELECTION CRITERIA

RCTs were included if they were carried out in children aged zero to 18 years, diagnosed with CKD, who were pre-dialysis, on dialysis or post-transplant; if they compared rhGH treatment with placebo/no treatment or two doses of rhGH treatments; and if they included height outcomes.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two authors independently assessed studies for risk of bias and extracted data from eligible studies. Data was pooled using a random effects model with calculation of mean difference (MD) for continuous outcomes with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

MAIN RESULTS

Sixteen studies (enrolling 809 children) were identified. Risk of bias assessment indicated that study quality was poor or poorly reported with only four and five studies respectively reporting adequate allocation concealment or blinding of study participants and investigators. Treatment with rhGH (28 IU/m²/wk) compared with placebo or no specific therapy resulted in a significant increase in height standard deviation score (HSDS) at one year (8 studies, 391 children: MD 0.82, 95% CI 0.56 to 1.07), and a significant increase in height velocity at six months (2 studies, 27 children: MD 2.85 cm/6 mo, 95% CI 2.22 to 3.48) and one year (7 studies, 287 children: MD 3.88 cm/y, 95% CI 3.32 to 4.44). Height velocity, though reduced, remained significantly greater than untreated children during the second year of therapy (1 study, 82 children: MD 2.30 cm/y, 95% CI 1.39 to 3.21). Compared to the 14 IU/m²/wk group, there was a 1.18 cm/y increase in height velocity in the 28 IU/m²/wk group (3 studies, 150 children: 1.18 cm/y, 95% CI 0.52 to 1.84) . The frequency of reported side effects of rhGH was generally similar to that of the control group.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

One year of 28 IU/m²/wk rhGH in children with CKD resulted in a 3.88 cm increase in height velocity above that of untreated patients. Studies were too short to determine if continuing treatment resulted in an increase in final adult height.

[Kidney transplantation in childhood: from milimeter to centimeters]

Graft survival is worse in recipient aged less than 5 years due to the greater risk of vascular thrombosis. Thrombosis may be prevented by the choice of the donor, method of surgery, perioperative hemodynamic optimisation and preventive anti-coagulation. Normal growth is a major objective of the management of transplanted children. The mean final height increased during the 20 last years to be between -1.63 and -0.92 SDS depending on age and period of the transplantation.

Adverse effects of growth hormone replacement therapy in children

Human growth hormone (hGH) replacement therapy has been widely available for clinical purposes for more than fifty years. Starting in 1958, hGH was obtained from cadaveric pituitaries, but in 1985 the association between hGH therapy and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease was reported. In the same year, the use of recombinant hGH (rhGH) was approved. Side effects of rhGH replacement therapy in children and adolescents include rash and pain at injection site, transient fever, prepubertal gynecomastia, arthralgia, edema, benign intracranial hypertension, insulin resistance, progression of scoliosis, and slipped capital femoral epiphysis. Since GH stimulates cell multiplication, development of neoplasms is a concern. We will review the side effects reported in all rhGH indications.

The role and future challenges for recombinant growth hormone therapy to promote growth in children after renal transplantation

Chronic kidney disease can severely impair linear growth in children. For many children, growth improves after renal transplantation, but for some, growth velocity remains low and for others, catch-up growth is insufficient to compensate for the deficit imparted by renal disease in the preceding years. Inadequate final adult height after renal transplant is multifactorial and can adversely affect the quality of life (QOL), psychosocial development and long term prospects for these children as they grow into adulthood. Growth failure after renal transplant requires thorough evaluation and its management in renal transplant recipients can involve improved nutritional intake, correction of metabolic acidosis, treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism, steroid-sparing immunosuppression and/or use of recombinant human growth hormone (rGH). Treatment with rGH after renal transplant has been evaluated by a limited number of clinical trials suggesting efficacy and safety for this treatment strategy. Several important clinical questions regarding rGH use in children post-renal transplant remain unanswered.

Systematic review of randomized controlled trial quality in pediatric kidney transplantation

Limited pediatric-specific research can lead to sub-standard evidence for clinical decision making in children. We sought to systematically evaluate the methodological quality and the reporting standards of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of transplantation trials in children. We included RCTs of kidney transplant recipients that had enrolled at least one child (aged 17 years or less) and that were reported in English language, peer reviewed journals from 2000 onward in the Cochrane Renal Group's specialized register. Trial reports were assessed against the 22 item checklist of the CONsolidated Standards Of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement. Twenty-seven RCTs were included. The reporting of the essential components of the methods, results and discussion domains was unsatisfactory. Mean CONSORT criteria score for the pediatric trials was 67% and 66% for trials including both adults and children (p value for the difference = 1.00). Trial reporting quality in pediatric transplantation trials is not different from trials involving adults. It is evident that the reporting standards of RCTs in both adult and pediatric transplantation require major improvements. This work bench-marks current standards for future quality improvement.

[Recombinant human growth hormone treatment in short children with renal disease--our first experience]

INTRODUCTION

Growth retardation is a hallmark of chronic illnesses such as chronic kidney disease in children, and it is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The growth hormone (GH) resistance observed in uraemia can be overcome by supraphysiological doses of exogenous GH.

OBJECTIVE

We would like to present our first results of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) treatment, mainly in children on haemodialysis.

METHODS

Sixteen children, aged 4.5-17.1 years (mean age 11.25 +/- 3.57) with height below -2.0 standard deviation score (SDS) for age or height velocity below -2.0 SDS for age, were selected to receive rhGH therapy at our Nephrology and Haemodialysis Department. Most of them were on haemodialysis (14 children) with mean spent time 2.88 +/- 2.68 years (0-9 years) before the initiation of rhGH therapy. One half of patients were prepubertal (8 children) and the second half were in early puberty (testicular volume between 4 and 8 ml for boys and breast development B2 or B3 in girls). All patients received 28-30 IU/m2 rhGH per week by daily subcutaneous injection. The year before rhGH therapy served as a control period.

RESULTS

During the first year of treatment, mean height velocity in haemodialysis patients increased from 2.25 cm/year to 6.59 cm/year (p < 0.0001) and in the second year it was 5.25 cm/ year (p = 0.004). The mean height SDS in haemodialysis children did not improve significantly during the first year of rhGH treatment (from -3.01 SDS to -2.77 SDS, p = 0.063). Neither weight nor the body mass index varied compared with the pretreatment period. Two patients developed worsened secondary hyperparathyroidism and were excluded from the study, but the relationship with rhGH remains uncertain.

CONCLUSION

Mean height velocity significantly improved during rhGH therapy in haemodialysis patients. No significant side-effects were observed in children during three-year treatment with GH.

Effects of steroid avoidance and novel protocols on growth in paediatric renal transplant patients

The vast majority of kidney transplant recipients undergo triple maintenance immunosuppression that includes the use of steroids. Irrespective of their long history in organ transplantation and proven efficacy in preventing acute graft rejection, steroids exhibit an unfavourable toxicity profile, including growth retardation in children. Given these negative effects, therapeutic approaches that will substantially decrease patients' exposure to steroids have been considered. The planned approaches included alternate day administration, rapid or late steroid withdrawal at the pre-scheduled time after transplantation and complete steroid avoidance. All three of these strategies have been tested in single- or multicentre studies and shown to have distinct clinical advantages in terms of decreasing the incidence and severity of specific adverse events. However, the safety of these protocols could not be universally proven. The Stanford study showed that a complete steroid avoidance under the "cover" of tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil and extended daclizumab induction is a very effective regimen for obtaining an improvement in post-transplantation growth. The recently reported international randomized TWIST trial demonstrated growth improvement as early as 6 months post-transplantation. These protocols may potentially enable paediatric renal graft recipients to safely avoid steroid exposure.

What have 20 years of data from the North American Pediatric Renal Transplant Cooperative Study taught us about growth following renal transplantation in infants, children, and adolescents with end-stage renal disease?

Growth following renal transplantation in infants, children, and adolescents was evaluated from 20 years of data reported to the registry of the North American Pediatric Renal Transplant Cooperative Study (NAPRTCS). The analysis of more than 10,000 recipients addressed the following questions: 1. What is the impact of age, pubertal growth, gender, transplant history, donor source and allograft function on growth after transplantation? 2. Has the height Z score at the time of transplantation changed during the past two decades and has this influenced final adult height? 3. To what extent has recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) been utilized in growth retarded recipients after transplantation and has its use resulted in accelerated post-transplantation growth? 4. Has the use of steroids for maintenance immunosuppression changed over the past 20 years and how have the perturbations of steroid usage influenced post-transplantation growth? 5. Have changes in clinical care resulted in improved final adult height Z score during the past two decades? Only younger children (<6 years) had initial accelerated post-transplantation growth. The mean increment in height during puberty was 18.8 cm (21.7 cm in 4.7 years for boys and 14.3 cm in 4.5 years for girls). Gender, source of donor graft, or number of grafts did not influence growth. Height Z score at transplantation has improved over the past two decades, as has final adult height with each succeeding era. The use of rhGH after transplantation results in a delta Z score of +0.5 standard deviation (SD). Post-transplantation growth improves with steroid avoidance and changes in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) impact on growth.

Etiology and treatment of growth retardation in children with chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease: a historical perspective

Dramatic changes have occurred in our understanding of the etiology of the growth retardation associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) during the past 50 years. Significant interest has been focused on preventing and/or correcting the growth retardation because of the emergence of the dual therapeutic modalities of dialysis and renal transplantation to prolong the lives of infants, children, and adolescents afflicted with CKD and ESRD. These efforts have resulted in a significant improvement in the height Z-score over the past two decades of children with CKD and ESRD. This has had a salutary impact on the final adult height of such children which should hopefully lead to an enhanced quality of life in the future. This report addresses the progress that has been made in the management of growth retardation in the pediatric population with CKD and ESRD.

Approach to optimizing growth, rehabilitation, and neurodevelopmental outcomes in children after solid-organ transplantation

One of the most critical differences between the posttransplant care of children and adults is the requirement in children to maintain a state of health that supports normal physical and psychological growth and development. Most children with organ failure have some degree of growth failure and developmental delay, which is not quickly reversed after successful transplantation. The challenge for clinicians caring for these children is to use strategies that minimize these deficits before transplantation and provide maximal opportunity for recovery of normal developmental processes during posttransplant rehabilitation. The effect of chronic organ failure, frequently complicated by malnutrition, on growth potential and cognitive development is poorly understood. This review presents a summary of what is known regarding risk factors for suboptimal growth and development following solid-organ transplant and describe possible strategies to improve these outcomes.

Maximizing growth in children after renal transplantation

Achieving normal height in children after renal transplantation is a crucial issue for both quality of life and self-esteem. The management of growth retardation in renal transplant recipients includes adequate nutritional intake, correction of acidosis, optimal drug compliance, limited calcineurin inhibitor nephrotoxicity, steroid-sparing strategies, and sometimes recombinant human growth hormone.

KDIGO clinical practice guideline for the care of kidney transplant recipients

The 2009 Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) clinical practice guideline on the monitoring, management, and treatment of kidney transplant recipients is intended to assist the practitioner caring for adults and children after kidney transplantation. The guideline development process followed an evidence-based approach, and management recommendations are based on systematic reviews of relevant treatment trials. Critical appraisal of the quality of the evidence and the strength of recommendations followed the Grades of Recommendation Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. The guideline makes recommendations for immunosuppression, graft monitoring, as well as prevention and treatment of infection, cardiovascular disease, malignancy, and other complications that are common in kidney transplant recipients, including hematological and bone disorders. Limitations of the evidence, especially on the lack of definitive clinical outcome trials, are discussed and suggestions are provided for future research.

Growth failure associated with sirolimus: case report

An 11-year-old girl, who was a renal transplant recipient, developed linear growth failure associated in time with sirolimus (SRL) treatment. After 5 years of functional graft [creatinine clearance (CCr) 90 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) body surface area], she developed acute renal failure due to calcineurin inhibitor-related hemolytic uremic syndrome, and cyclosporine A was replaced by SRL. Before the drug change, she had been growing normally (5.5 cm/year) and had reached the 33.9 percentile (P) of height (z-height -0.41), similar to her target. Two years later, her height had decreased to P 6th (z-height -1.54), as her growth velocity had diminished to 2.2 cm/year, despite optimal renal function (CCr 68 ml/min per 1.73 m(2)). Human recombinant growth hormone was needed to promote her catch-up growth and achieve the P 49th of height (z-height -0.03). SRL may have deleterious effects on growing children due its characteristic anti-proliferative and anti-angiogenic properties. Pediatric transplant recipients' linear growth should be cautiously monitored while they are being given SRL.

[Short stature in chronic kidney disease: physiopathology and treatment with growth hormone]

Growth failure is frequent and a clinically important issue in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Many factors contribute to impaired growth in these children, including abnormalities in the growth hormone (GH)--insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) axis, malnutrition, acidosis, renal bone disease and glucocorticoid associated treatment. The management of growth failure in children with CKD is complicated by the presence of other-disease related complications requiring medical intervention. Despite evidence of GH efficacy and safety in this population, this therapy is still underutilized. This review shows the impact, the causes and the treatment of growth failure in children with CKD.

Growth after renal transplantation

Growth may be severely impaired in children with chronic renal insufficiency. Since short stature can have major consequences on quality of life and self-esteem, achieving a 'normal' height is a crucial issue for renal transplant recipients. However, despite successful renal transplantation, the final height attained by most recipients is not the calculated target height. Catch-up growth spurts post-transplantation are usually insufficient to compensate for the retardation in growth that has occurred during the pre-transplant period. Longitudinal growth post-transplantation is therefore influenced by the age at transplantation but also by subsequent allograft function and steroid exposure, both of which interfere with the growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor axis. The management of growth retardation in renal transplant recipients includes adequate nutritional intake, correction of metabolic acidosis, prevention of bone disease, steroid-sparing strategies and a supraphysiological dose of recombinant human growth hormone in selected cases.

Lack of effect of IGF-I on the glomerular filtration rate in non-diabetic patients with advanced chronic kidney disease

Recombinant human insulin-like growth factor I (rhIGF-I) acutely increases the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in human volunteers and patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, on chronic administration, rhIGF-I induces tolerance to its renal effects attributed to a fall in serum IGF-binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) enhancing its systemic clearance. Tolerance may be avoided by the use of an intermittent dosage regimen of rhIGF-I. A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was undertaken in non-diabetic patients with advanced CKD to establish whether intermittent subcutaneous injections of rhIGF-I (50 microg/kg, four days/week) could increase GFR over a 24 week period and thereby have the potential to delay the onset of renal replacement therapy. Twenty-seven patients were randomised into rhIGF-I/placebo groups using a 2:1 treatment ratio. GFR was determined by inulin clearance. RhIGF-I therapy produced a sustained increase serum total and free IGF-I elevating IGFBP-1 without decreasing IGFBP-3. Inulin clearance however, was not increased after either four weeks or over the 24 week observation period. Only 4/18 rhIGF-I treated patients compared to 6/9 placebo patients completed the study, the major reason being the requirement for dialysis. Compared with healthy volunteers, advanced CKD patients had elevated serum levels of IGFBP-1, IGFBP-2, tumour necrosis factor-alpha and asymmetric dimethylarginine, all factors proposed to mediate IGF-I resistance. In conclusion, although intermittent rhIGF-I therapy elevated serum total IGF-I and prevented any fall in serum IGFBP-3, it failed to increase GFR in non-diabetic patients with advanced CKD. The lack of efficacy was attributed to the presence of renal IGF-I resistance in CKD.

Kidney transplantation and donation in children

It has been shown that kidney transplantation results in superior life expectancy and quality of life compared with dialysis treatment for patients with end-stage renal disease. However, kidney transplantation in children differs in many aspects from adult kidney transplantation. This review focuses on specific issues of surgical care associated with kidney transplantation in children, including timing of transplantation, technical considerations, patient and graft survival, growth retardation and post-transplant malignancy. At the same time, there is a large discrepancy between the number of available donor kidneys and the number of patients on the waiting list for kidney transplantation. There is a general reluctance to use paediatric donor kidneys, because of relatively frequent complications such as graft thrombosis and early graft failure. We review the specific aspects of kidney transplantation from paediatric donors such as the incidence of graft thrombosis, hyperfiltration injury and 'en bloc' transplantation of two kidneys from one donor with an excellent long-term outcome, which is comparable with adult donor kidney transplantation. We also discuss the potential use of paediatric non-heart-beating donor kidneys, from donors whose heart stopped beating with the preservation techniques used.

Growth hormone treatment in short children with chronic kidney disease

Growth hormone (GH) has been used for treatment of impaired growth in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) for nearly 17 years. Controlled and open-label studies have shown that GH is highly effective in improving growth velocity and adult height. The growth response is negatively correlated with age and height at start and time spent on dialysis treatment; it is positively correlated with dose and duration of treatment and the primary renal disease (renal hypodysplasia). In children with renal transplants, corticosteroid treatment is an additional factor negatively influencing spontaneous growth rates. However, GH treatment is able to compensate corticosteroid-induced growth failure. GH treatment improved final height by 0.5-1.7 standard deviation score (SDS) in various studies, whereas the control group lost about 0.5 SDS in comparable time intervals. These variable results are explained in part by the factors mentioned above. The adverse events are comparable to those in non-CKD children treated with GH.

CONCLUSION

GH treatment is safe and highly effective in improving growth and final height of short children with all stages of CKD. The highest treatment success is obtained if treatment is started at an early age and with relatively well-preserved residual renal function and continued until final height.

Recombinant growth hormone use pretransplant and risk for post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease--a report of the NAPRTCS

rhGH, widely used to optimize linear growth in children with ESRD, also modulates B-cell precursor development and may be associated with malignancy development. To determine if rhGH use in children was associated with higher risk of PTLD, we analyzed retrospectively collected data on children with CRI, on dialysis or with renal transplants in a large multi-center registry of children with ESRD. Of the 194 LPD patients currently listed in the registry, 41 were previously enrolled in the CRI registry and 18/41 (43.9%) used rhGH during their period with CRI. Among CRI patients who later received a transplant, rates of PTLD post-transplant were significantly higher among rhGH users (18/407 or 4.4%) compared to patients who never used rhGH during their CRI follow-up and received a transplant (23/1240 or 1.9%, p = 0.009). After adjusting for the confounders of recipient age (at CRI and at transplant) and transplant era, the use of rhGH pretransplant was associated with a borderline higher risk for PTLD (odds ratio 1.88, 95% CI = 1.00-3.55, p = 0.05). In contrast, use of rhGH during dialysis or post-transplant only was not associated with a higher risk for PTLD. Continued monitoring is recommended.

[Growth hormone therapy for children with chronic diseases]

Growth disorders are commonly observed in children suffering from chronic diseases. The pathogenesis of growth failure is multifactorial. In chronic inflammatory diseases such as juvenile idiopathic arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease, growth is also affected by pro-inflammatory cytokines. Patients with chronic diseases might also become growth hormone (GH) deficient. However, normal or increased GH secretion with reduced plasma concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-I indicate a degree of GH insensitivity in some patients. Growth damage can increase with specific treatments, especially if glucocorticoids are used. GH therapy has been used to reduce the consequences of the disease and long-term steroid therapy in these patients. In this review, it is reported the encouraging results of GH treatment in growth-retarded children with chronic diseases, both in well defined indications as well in situations still under investigation.

Factors predicting the near-final height in growth hormone-treated children and adolescents with chronic kidney disease

CONTEXT

GH therapy is an accepted measure to increase adult height in young prepubertal patients suffering from growth failure related to chronic kidney disease (CKD). The impact of GH therapy on final height (FH) in CKD patients of pubertal age is unclear.

OBJECTIVE

This study set out to analyze near-FH in a cohort of GH-treated CKD patients.

DESIGN, SETTINGS, AND PATIENTS

Of 240 evaluable patients in the Pfizer International Growth Database (KIGS) with CKD, 39% were prepubertal and 61% were pubertal at baseline; 45% were on conservative treatment for CKD, 28% were on dialysis, and 27% were in the period after renal transplantation.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Near-FH, relation to pubertal stage, and factors predictive of growth response were the main outcome measures.

RESULTS

Mean height sd scores increased continuously during GH treatment until near-FH by 1.2 and 1.6 in boys and girls, respectively. Mean near-FH differed significantly from prepubertal patients showing severely delayed puberty (-3.6), late pubertal patients (-2.9), early pubertal patients (-2.2), and prepubertal patients with normal onset of puberty (-2.0). The initial degree of stunting, degree of bone age retardation, duration of GH therapy, time spent on conservative treatment/dialysis, pubertal delay (>2 sd), gender, and age at start of GH treatment were significant predictors of growth response to GH therapy, explaining between 33 and 61% of the overall variability.

CONCLUSIONS

Long-term GH therapy of CKD patients in prepubertal and pubertal age results in an increased adult height, but response is diminished in patients on dialysis and/or with severely delayed puberty.

Management of growth retardation in pediatric recipients of renal allografts

Growth retardation frequently accompanies chronic kidney disease in children. Unfortunately, this retardation persists in magnitude despite assiduous therapeutic efforts, adequate dialytic intervention, and successful transplantation. The age of the patient at transplantation, allograft function, and corticosteroid dosage are the major factors that contribute to persistent suboptimal growth following renal transplantation. Recent data indicate that the use of recombinant human growth hormone might efficaciously improve growth velocity in the persistently growth-retarded allograft recipient. Attainment of optimum final adult height is predicated on optimum height at the time of transplantation, persistent optimum allograft function, minimization or avoidance of corticosteroid treatment, and, possibly, use of recombinant human growth hormone, especially to potentially maximize the pubertal growth spurt.

Contributions of the Transplant Registry: The 2006 Annual Report of the North American Pediatric Renal Trials and Collaborative Studies (NAPRTCS)

This summary of the NAPRTCS 2006 Annual Report of the Transplant Registry highlights the significant impact the registry has had in advancing knowledge in pediatric renal transplantation worldwide. This cooperative group has collected clinical information on children undergoing a renal transplantation since 1987 and now includes over 150 participating medical centers in the USA, Canada, Mexico, and Costa Rica. Currently, the NAPRTCS transplant registry includes information on 9837 renal transplants in 8990 patients (NAPRTCS 2006 Annual Report). Since the first data analysis in 1989, NAPRTCS reports have documented marked improvements in outcome after renal transplantation in addition to identifying factors associated with both favorable and poor outcomes. The registry has served to document and influence practice patterns, clinical outcomes, and changing trends in renal transplantation.

rhGH Treatment in Corticosteroid-Treated Patients

Children and adolescents treated for chronic diseases have non-specific metabolic abnormalities that lead to decreased growth velocity and abnormal body composition, including severe osteoporosis, muscle wasting and increased fat mass. Glucocorticoid (GC) therapy plays a major role in the complex pathogenesis of these metabolic abnormalities. Recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) therapy was introduced a few years ago to reduce the severe disease- and GC-related metabolic consequences of juvenile idiopathic arthritis, other chronic diseases, and renal transplantation. Short- and mid-term rhGH treatment has consistently proved effective in overcoming GC-induced growth suppression, with a marked interindividual variability in the growth response to rhGH treatment. Safety of rhGH treatment, concerning the progression of the disease and glucose tolerance, was good. Prolonged follow-up until achievement of adult height is needed to better evaluate the impact of rhGH treatment on growth and body composition and the long-term consequences of hyperinsulinism.