Patterns of recombinant growth hormone therapy use and growth responses among children with chronic kidney disease.

backgroundRecombinant growth hormone (rGH) is an efficacious therapy for growth failure in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We described rGH use and estimated its relationship with growth and kidney function in the Chronic Kidney Disease in Children (CKiD) cohort.

methodsParticipants included those with growth failure, prevalent rGH users, and rGH initiators who did not meet growth failure criteria. Among those with growth failure, height z scores and GFR were compared between rGH initiators and non-initiators across 42 months. Inverse probability weights accounted for differences in baseline variables in weighted linear regressions.

resultsAmong 148 children with growth failure and no previous rGH therapy, 42 (28%) initiated rGH therapy. Of the initiators, average age was 8.9 years, height z score was 2.50 standard deviations (SDs) (0.6

conclusionsParticipants with growth failure receiving rGH experienced significant growth, although this was attenuated relative to RCTs, and were more likely to have higher household income and lower GFR. A substantial number of participants, predominantly boys, without diagnosed growth failure received rGH and had the highest achieved height relative to mid-parental height. Since rGH was not associated with accelerated GFR decline, increasing rGH use in this population is warranted.