[Other indications for growth hormone treatment: chronic kidney failure and Turner's syndrome]

Recently, it has been demonstrated that treatment with growth hormone (GH) can accelerate height velocity in children with chronic renal insufficiency (CRI), after kidney transplantation and in Turner syndrome. The pathogenesis of growth retardation in CRI is complex. Possibly the most important factor involved is the presence of peripheral resistance to insulin-like growth factors. The administration of GH in high doses may restore catch-up growth, both in children with CRI and in kidney post-transplant patients. After 12 months of treatment height velocity increased from 4.3 to 6.6 cm/year in 4 children with CRI, and from 2.5 to 7.4 cm/year in 3 patients with kidney transplant. GH therapy alone, but even more in combination with oxandrolone increases the growth rate in Turner syndrome and may increase the final height, but the long-term results of this treatment are awaited. No undesirable collateral effects have been reported.