Growth hormone treatment in pre-pubertal short Chinese children with chronic kidney disease prior to transplantation

Background The effect of recombinant human GH (rhGH) in Chinese children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is unclear. Methods This was a 52-week, multicenter, randomized, open-label, negative-controlled phase 3 study. Prepubertal subjects were randomized 1:1 to either daily subcutaneous injections of rhGH 0.05 mg/kg/day or no treatment for 52 weeks. Results A total of 68 subjects with a mean age of 7.8 ± 3.27 years were enrolled. At week 52, the height standard deviation score (HT-SDS) in the treated group increased by 0.75 ± 0.58, which was significantly higher compared with 0.17 ± 0.47 in the untreated group (least squares mean 0.58, 95% confidence interval, 0.32–0.84; P < 0.001). At week 52, significant improvements were observed in other growth parameters (height velocity [ P < 0.001]), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) SDS [ P < 0.001], IFG-1/insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 molar ratio [ P < 0.001], and height [ P < 0.001]) compared with the untreated control. Seven patients reported treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) and most TRAEs were mild in severity. Most subjects recovered without further intervention. Conclusions Daily rhGH for 52 weeks in children with CKD-induced growth retardation significantly improved HT-SDS and other growth parameters without compromising safety. Impact The efficacy and safety of growth hormone (GH) therapy in Chinese children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are unclear. This study found that giving short stature Chinese children with CKD daily recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) for 52 weeks improved growth parameters without compromising safety. This study’s information can give physicians the confidence to treat these patients in their clinical practice.