Growth hormone as a new treatment modality for short children with 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.