[Urinary amino acid pattern before and after intravenous arginine (a comparison with cystinuria)]

13 patients had during their work up for growth retardation an intravenous arginine load. The urinary amino acid pattern before and after arginine administration was checked in comparison to 10 control patients. There was no significant difference between the individual groups. After the arginine load existed an increased clearance of arginine, cystine, ornithine, lysine and citrulline. The results are compared to the amino acid excretion pattern in two female patients with cystinuria.