Increased levels of circulating endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule-1 (ELAM-1) in children with reflux nephropathy.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine circulating levels of ELAM-1 in sera collected from patients with vesicoureteral reflux, and to investigate the relationship between circulating concentrations of ELAM-1 and reflux nephropathy.


METHODS
The serum levels of ELAM-1 were measured in 117 patients aged between 3 months and 13 years, with grade III to grade V vesicoureteral reflux, and 22 controls, by ELISA technique. Renal scarring was demonstrated in 46 of the 117 children on radionuclide scans.


RESULTS
The mean serum ELAM-1 levels were 54.23 +/- 20.11 ng/ml in controls and 77.79 +/- 34.50 ng/ml in children with vesicoureteral reflux (p < 0.05). The mean serum ELAM-1 levels in children with vesicoureteral reflux and renal scarring (104.48 +/- 34.53 ng/ml) were significantly higher than in children with VUR without renal scarring (60.51 +/- 20.85 ng/ml; p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that circulating ELAM-1 levels reflect increased tissue damage in children with vesicoureteral reflux, probably as a result of progressive localised inflammatory responses occurring in these patients.
Kobayashi
H
H
Children's Research Centre, Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, Dublin, Ireland.
Wang
Y
Y
Puri
P
P
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019040:E-Selectin / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007668:Kidney / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D014718:Vesico-Ureteral Reflux / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology
D019040:E-Selectin