Evaluation of Effect of Renal Transplantation on Growth in Children with Chronic Renal Failure

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: We aim to identify the clinical and demographic characteristics in children who underwent renal transplantation(RTx) and to evaluate the influence on growth of RTx in children. METHODS: We reviewed 17 medical records of chronic renal failure patients who underwent RTx from April 1992 and June 2004 at Busan Paik Hospital. Age and sex distribution, cause of disease, donor analysis, patient and graft survival rate, and the status of growth after RTx were analysed by retrospective study. RESULTS: Eighteen RTx were performed in 17 patients(8 boys, 9 girls). The mean age at the time of RTx was 15.8+/-3.5 years and the mean duration of dialysis therapy before RTx was 22.4+/-18.0 months. The 1 year and 5 year patient survival rate were each 100%, and the 1 year and 5 year graft survival rate were 88%, 36% respectively. The most common cause of graft failure was chronic rejection. The mean final height of male patients was 162.8+/-10.0 cm(143.0-172.5 cm) and of female patients was 154.5+/-12.1 cm(135.8-160.0 cm). The mean height standard deviation score(Ht SDS) increased after RTx from -1.95 to -1.53 but the increment rate was not statistically significant. Similar changes were noted in individual patient analysis. Also there was no significant difference between the living-related donors and cadaveric donors. CONCLUSION: Our data shows that even successful RTx rarely results in full growth rehabilitation. To overcome retarded growth in children with chronic renal failure, appropriate combined management of metabolic and nutritional problems, correction of anemia, proper use of recombinant growth hormone therapy, early renal transplantation and shortening of the duration of dialysis would be necessary.