• H Barle, L Gamrin, P Essén, M A McNurlan, P J Garlick, and J Wernerman.
• Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Huddinge University Hospital, Karolinska Institute, Sweden. hans.barle@anaesth.hs.sll.se
• Intensive Care Med. 2001 May 1; 27 (5): 836-43.

ObjectiveTo study the effect of growth hormone (GH) on albumin synthesis in critically ill patients.DesignProspective randomized controlled study.SettingTwo intensive care units, university hospital and county hospital, respectively.PatientsTwenty-two critically ill patients in the intensive care unit.InterventionsAlbumin synthesis was measured twice in each patient, with a 5-day interval. The patients in the control group (n = 11) received standard intensive care unit (ICU) treatment between measurements, whereas those in the GH group (n = 11) also received 0.3 U/kg daily of human recombinant GH.Measurements And ResultsAlbumin synthesis was measured by labeling with L-[2H5]phenylalanine. In the control group, the fractional synthesis rate (FSR) of albumin was 16.3+/-4.1%/day (mean and SD) in the first measurement and 15.7+/-4.2%/day 5 days later (NS), whereas in the GH group the corresponding values were 17.0+/-4.7%/day and 16.7+/-5.5%/day (NS). The calculated absolute synthesis rates of albumin, based on FSR and intravascular albumin mass, also showed no effect of GH.ConclusionAlbumin synthesis rates were consistently higher in the two groups of critically ill patients than previously reported values in healthy subjects. However, GH treatment for 5 days neither stimulated nor inhibited albumin synthesis rates in these critically ill patients.

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