GROWTH-HORMONE STIMULATION TESTS IN CHRONIC-RENAL-FAILURE WITH METABOLIC-ACIDOSIS

Metabolic acidosis is one of the possible causes of growth retardation in chronic renal failure (CRF). Data about the effect of metabolic ac idosis on growth hormone (GPI) secretion in CRF are limited. A study w as carried out on eight CRF patients, hospitalized because of severe m etabolic acidosis, and eight age-matched prepubertal healthy short chi ldren. Growth hormone stimulation tests were done with L-dopa and clon idine before or during acidosis therapy and after the correction of me tabolic acidosis. The levels of GH were measured by radio-immunoassay. The mean of the peaks of both tests were used for each patient and st atistical significance was tested by Mann-Whitney U and Wilcoxon tests . No difference was found between the GH peaks of the two groups durin g acidosis and after the correction of acidosis (Wilcoxon test, P > 0. 05). In view of this data it was concluded that metabolic acidosis has little effect on GH stimulation tests.