title: Microalbuminuria as a predictor of early glomerular injury in children with sickle cell disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A cross sectional study was carried out to determine the prevalence of microalbuminuria in the pediatric patients with sickle cell disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was carried out on 64 pediatric patients aged less than 14 years with documented HbSS, HbAS and HbS beta thalassemia, Microalbuminuria was estimated using single radial immuno diffusion technique. Majority of the study subjects were of HbSS type. 38.5% had symptoms for > 2 years. 18.8% of the study population had significant microalbuminuria (19.2% of SS type and 18.8% of Hb AS types).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Microalbuminuria excretion was significantly more in patients > 9 years of age as compared to young patients (p < 0.05). Mean serum creatinine levels did not show any significant difference in the various study groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Microalbuminuria estimation is a very important clinical marker of preclinical glomerular damage in patients with sickle cell disease. It estimation would help in the early detection of such patients and prompt initiation of therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram, Wardha, Maharashtra, India. vikramdatta123@rediff.com
authors.forename: Vikram
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Datta
authors.forename: Janaki Raju
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Ayengar
authors.forename: Shilpaja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karpate
authors.forename: Pushpa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chaturvedi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000652:urine; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000503:physiopathology; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006454:Hemoglobins