[Atrial natriuretic factor in hemodialyzed children].

Indirect evidence suggest that volume overload is the major determinant of plasma atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) elevation in hemodialysis patients. Correlations between plasma ANF levels and extracellular volume (ECV) were investigated by simultaneously measuring both parameters in 30 pediatric hemodialysis patients (aged 1 to 17.5 years; 18 M, 12 F) 24 hours after a dialysis session. Plasma ANF was determined using a commercially available RIA (Amersham) after plasma extraction (SEP-Pack C18); ECV was estimated by determining the volume of distribution of inulin and expressing the result as the % of body weight. In hemodialysis children, ANF levels ranged from 43 to 427 pg/ml (versus 30-70 pmoles/ml in age-matched controls) and EVC ranged from 17 to 33% BW. A significant positive correlation was found between plasma ANF levels and ECV (r = 0.66; p less than 0.001). Patients who exhibited falls in blood pressure during the dialysis session had lower mean ANF and ECV values (133 +/- 90 pg/ml and 23 +/- 3% BW, respectively) than those who did not (211 +/- 123 pg/ml and 26 +/- 4% BW, respectively). Conversely, patients who needed chronic antihypertensive therapy had higher mean plasma ANF and ECV values (204 +/- 122 pg/ml and 26 +/- 4% BW, respectively) than those who did not (149 +/- 100 pg/ml and 23. 5 +/- 4.5% BW, respectively). In a small subgroup of patients who had repeated determinations, individual plasma ANF and ECV changes were closely matched and both parameters were well correlated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)