title: Simplified quantification of urinary protein excretion in children with nephrotic syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the value of single voided random (spot) urinary protein to creatinine ratio in accurately predicting the 24-hour urinary protein excretion in Pakistani pediatric population with nephrotic syndrome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional, analytical study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Pediatric Department, Nishtar Hospital/ Children Complex, Multan, from January 2003 to November, 2005.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty seven children between 1-18 years with nephrotic syndrome were included. Seventy pairs of spot urine (5 milliliter) and 24-hour urine were collected in different phases of their disease e.g. initial, induction and remission. The protein to creatinine ratio was determined in spot urine samples and total protein content in 24-hour urine samples. The correlation between the ratio and 24-hour urinary protein excreted was determined using Pearson's coefficient (r) linear regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The protein to creatinine ratio in a spot urine sample was significantly correlated with the 24-hour urinary protein. The correlation coefficient (least square method) was found to be significant (r=0.9444). A random (spot) urinary protein to creatinine ratio of greater than 2 correlated well with the massive proteinuria (i.e. nephrotic syndrome), between 2 to 0.2 indicated glomerulopathy while a ratio of less than 0.2 was suggestive of physiological values.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The random spot urinary protein to creatinine ratio can reliably be used to assess the degree of proteinuria in children with nephrotic syndrome and can replace the 24-hour urinary protein excretion/collection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary, Bakhtawar Amin Memorial Trust Hospital, Multan.
authors.forename: Ghulam
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mustafa
authors.forename: Pervez Akber
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Imran
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Iqbal
authors.forename: Zahid
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.forename: Muhammad Mutahir
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Iqbal