Rationale for growth hormone therapy in children with chronic kidney disease

Greenbaum, Larry A.; Del Rio, Marcela; Bamgbola, Fatai; Kaskel, Frederick

doi:10.1053/j.ackd.2004.07.005

« Previous Next »Advances in Chronic Kidney Disease
Volume 11, Issue 4 , Pages 377-386, October 2004

Rationale for growth hormone therapy in children with chronic kidney disease

Larry A. Greenbaum
- Medical College of Wisconsin and the Children’s Research Institute of the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
- Address correspondence to Larry A. Greenbaum, MD, PhD, Medical College of Wisconsin, Department of Pediatrics, 8701 Watertown Plank Rd, Milwaukee, WI 53226
- Dr. Greenbaum and Dr. Kaskel have served as consultants for Genentech, Inc.
Marcela Del Rio
- Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, Section of Nephrology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, Bronx, New York, USA
Fatai Bamgbola
- Section of Nephrology, Oklahoma University Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
Frederick Kaskel
- Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, Section of Nephrology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, Bronx, New York, USA
- Dr. Greenbaum and Dr. Kaskel have served as consultants for Genentech, Inc.

Growth retardation is a common complication in children with chronic kidney disease. Treatable causes of growth retardation in these patients include renal osteodystrophy, metabolic acidosis, and inadequate nutritional intake. In addition, disturbances in the growth hormone-insulinlike growth factor I axis are a major cause of decreased growth. Administration of recombinant human growth hormone can overcome this problem, allowing catch-up growth and achievement of normal or improved adult height.

Index words: Chronic kidney disease , growth failure , IGF-I , recombinant human growth hormone