[Determination of renotropic activity in the sera of 35 uninephrectomy patients]

The renotropic growth factor (RGF) does increase in postuninephrectomy serum although the majority of studies were conducted in experiment. As regard to whether there is postnephrectomy RGF in human being, we have not hitherto reached a conclusion. By incorporating tritiated thymidine (3H-TdR) into primary human kidney cells in culture. We have determined renotropic activity in the sera of 35 uninephrectomy patients. The RGF was found increased in 68% and 76% patients at postnephrectomy days 2 and 5 respectively, showing an average increase of 14% and 33% as compared with that of preoperation level. i.e. The RGF does exist in the sera of uninephrectomy patients. Through multifactorial analysis, it revealed that renotropic activity was higher in male and uninephrectomy patient with better renal function. The same was also found in the patient who had not encountered side effect derived from blood transfusion and that the kidney lesion was benign in nature. Female or senile patient with deteriorated renal function or those with malignant lesion or transfusion side effect showed a lower renotropic activity. But no significant statistic difference was seen between the two categories.