[Improvement of malnutrition indices in adult patients with end stage renal disease by recombinant human growth hormone].

Recombinant human growth hormone (r-hGH), 1 U/kg body weight/week, was administered subcutaneously for 2-4 weeks to two end stage renal disease patients with severe malnutrition. Following r-hGH, there were significant increase in hematocrit level and serum concentration of albumin, IGF-1 and GH, and decrease of urea nitrogen. It was concluded that r-hGH exerts a therapeutic effect to nutritional status in renal failure patients by improving severe hypoalbuminemia, susceptibility to infectious disease, intractable ascites and so on.