Compensatory renal growth in human fetuses with unilateral renal agenesis

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Abstract
To determine whether compensatory growth of the kidney occurs during fetal life we studied 20 human specimens with a unilateral kidney as an isolated defect. The mean combined kidney weight to body weight ratio × 100 in controls was 0.76 ± 0.14 (SD) and in the solitary kidney cases (after doubling the kidney weight) was 1.26 ± 0.35 (SD). This significant increase leads us to hypothesize that the increased weight may be due to an induced negative feedback system involving a renotropic factor. From histologic studies a uniform increase in all nephron elements was found. Why should a fetus with adequate placental clearance of metabolic wastes need increased renal size?