title: Urinary albumin excretion rate and puberty in non-diabetic children and adolescents.
abstract: Slightly elevated urinary albumin excretion rate (microalbuminuria) is a marker of early diabetic nephropathy, but it is unclear if the established definition of microalbuminuria (20-200 micrograms/min) is correct for children and adolescents. We investigated the albumin excretion rate, albumin/creatinine ratio and urinary albumin concentration in 150 healthy schoolchildren and adolescents to (a) obtain a reference value for albumin excretion rate, (b) relate albumin excretion to pubertal stages and (c) evaluate albumin/creatinine ratio and morning albumin concentration as screening methods for elevated albumin excretion rate. Albumin concentration was measured by immunoturbidimetry in timed overnight urine samples. The albumin excretion showed a skewed distribution (geometric mean 3.2 micrograms/min, 95 percentile 15.1 micrograms/min). In girls, a peak in the albumin excretion rate was found at the pubertal stage 4 (Tanner) and in boys at stage 5. Albumin/creatinine ratio of 2.5 mg/mmol as a screening level for elevated albumin excretion (15 micrograms/min) showed a high positive (0.88) and negative (0.99) predictive value.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Aker University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Bangstad
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dahl-Jørgensen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kjaersgaard
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mevold
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Hanssen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000418:Albumins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000419:Albuminuria; D002648:Child; D003404:Creatinine / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011627:Puberty / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D003404:Creatinine