title: Microalbuminuria in children with urinary tract infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Microalbuminuria is defined as increased urinary albumin excretion (30-300 mg/day) or microalbumin/creatinine ratio (30-300 mg/g) in a spot urine sample. Although microalbuminuria is a predictor of clinical nephropathy and cardiomyopathy, few studies have investigated microalbuminuria in children with urinary tract infection (UTI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Therefore, we compared the spot urine microalbumin/creatinine ratio in pediatric UTI patients with that of control subjects. We investigated the correlation between the ratio in children with UTI and age, height, weight, blood pressure, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), hematuria, vesicoureteral reflux, renal parenchymal defect, and renal scar, and its predictability for UTI complications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We studied 66 patients (42 boys, 24 girls) and 52 healthy children (24 boys, 28 girls). The mean microalbumin/creatinine ratio in UTI patients was statistically significantly increased compared to the control group (340.04±321.36 mg/g (38.47±36.35 mg/mmol) in patient group vs. 225.68±154.61 mg/g (25.53±17.49 mg/mmol) in control group, P=0.0141). The mean value of spot urine microalbumin/creatinine ratio (384.70±342.22 mg/g (43.47±37.67 mg/mmol) in patient group vs. 264.92±158.13 mg/g (29.94±17.86 mg/mmol) in control group, P=0.0341) in 1-23 months age patient group showed statistically significant increase compared to control group. Microalbumin/creatinine ratio showed negative correlation to age (r=-0.29, P=0.0167), body surface area (BSA) (r=-0.29, P=0.0173) and GFR (r=-0.26, P=0.0343). The presence of hematuria (P=0.0169) was found to be correlated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The spot urine microalbumin/creatinine ratio in children with UTI was significantly greater than that in normal children, and it was positively correlated with GFR. This ratio is a potential prescreening and prognostic marker in UTI patients. Further studies are required to validate the predictability of microalbuminuria in pediatric UTI patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Byung Ok
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Kwak
authors.forename: Sochung
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Kyo Sun
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kim