Copeptin stimulation by combined intravenous arginine and oral LevoDopa/Carbidopa in healthy short children and children with the polyuria-polydipsia syndrome

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Stimulated copeptin may provide an alternative to water deprivation testing (WDT) in the evaluation of polyuria-polydipsia syndrome (PPS). Though best studied, arginine stimulation alone produces a modest copeptin response in children. We investigated the effectiveness of the arginine + LevoDopa/Carbidopa stimulation test (ALD-ST) for copeptin. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> 47 healthy short children (controls), 10 children with primary polydipsia, and 10 children with AVP deficiency received arginine hydrochloride (500 mg/kg intravenously over 30 min) and Levodopa/carbidopa (10:1 ratio; 175 mg of <sc>l</sc>-Dopa/m² BSA) orally. Serum copeptin was measured at 0, 60, 90, and 120 min. <b><i>Results:</i></b> In controls, ALD-ST increased copeptin from a median of 7.0 pmol/L (IQR 5.0–10.0) to a peak of 44.0 pmol/L (IQR 21.4–181.0) between 60 and 120 min (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). Copeptin peak was higher in subjects who experienced nausea or vomiting (57%) than in those who did not (131.0 pmol/L [IQR 42.5–193.8] vs. 22.7 pmol/L [IQR 16.0–33.7], <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). While subjects with primary polydipsia had similar baseline (8.5 pmol/L [IQR 8.0–11.0]) and stimulated (125.2 pmol/L [IQR 87.6–174.0]) copeptin levels as controls, subjects with AVP deficiency had lower baseline (2.5 pmol/L [IQR 2.0–3.1]) and peak levels (4.6 pmol/L [IQR 2.4–6.0]). A peak copeptin of ≥9.3 pmol/L best predicted absence of complete or partial AVP deficiency with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 80%. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> ALD-ST induced a robust peak copeptin in healthy short children and children with primary polydipsia. Nausea/vomiting, a side effect of ALD-ST, amplified the copeptin response. The ALD-ST may be a suitable initial screening test in children with PPS.