The impact of recombinant human growth hormone treatment during chronic renal insufficiency on renal transplant recipients

Objective: To evaluate post-transplant outcomes for patients treated with human growth hormone (rhGH) during the course of chronic renal insufficiency (CRI). Study design: patients (the "cohort" group) were identified who had been enrolled in 2 controlled studies to determine the efficacy and safety of rhGH in growth-retarded children with CRI and were subsequently enrolled in the North American Pediatric Renal Transplant Cooperative Study (NAPRTCS) and received a renal transplant. Patient survival, graft survival, time to first acute rejection episode, causes of graft failure, adverse events, and serial growth data from transplant to 60 months were evaluated. Data from the cohort group of 102 patients were compared with data from 4913 primary transplants from "other NAPRTCS" recipients (the "control" group). Results: No significant difference was seen in patient survival or graft survival, incidence of acute rejection episode, or rime to first rejection episode between the cohort and control groups. No specific adverse events were attributable to previous rhGH treatment. Only 2 patients had post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease in the cohort group, with no other malignancies reported. The mean height z scores in the cohort group at baseline and 60 months after transplant were -1.92 and -1.90, and the Delta z score at 60 months was +0.20 compared with the control group (-1.88 and -2.10). Conclusions: Treatment of growth-retarded patients with CRI does not adversely affect graft function after renal transplantation. "Catch-down" growth does not occur after renal transplantation.