Urinary Growth Hormone Levels Measured by Ultrasensitive Enzyme Immunoassay in Patients with Renal Insufficiency*

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Abstract
An ultrasensitive enzyme immunoassay was used to measure urinary GH levels in patients with renal insufficiency and normal subjects. Urinary GH excretion varied widely, but was significantly higher (P < 0.01) in patients with renal insufficiency (median, 339; range, 2–17,000 ng/day) than in normal subjects (5.4; 1.2–15 ng/day). Urinary GH excretion correlated positively with urinary β2-microglobulin excretion (r = 0.79; P < 0.001) and negatively with creatinine clearance (r = −0.83; P < 0.001). Gel chromatography of urine from patients with renal insufficiency revealed a major peak of urinary GH corresponding to a mol wt of 22K, that of pituitary GH. These findings suggest that the kidneys play an important role in the catabolism of GH and that urinary GH may reflect, at least in part, renal function as well as hypothalamo-pituitary function.