title: Increased levels of circulating endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule-1 (ELAM-1) in children with reflux nephropathy.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Children's Research Centre, Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Puri
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D019040:E-Selectin