Urinary nerve growth factor in children with overactive bladder: a promising, noninvasive and objective biomarker.
OBJECTIVE
This prospective study was designed to determine urinary nerve growth factor (NGF) levels in children with overactive bladder (OAB), and to evaluate whether this factor can be used as a biomarker for diagnosis and monitoring treatment outcome.


METHODS
Urinary NGF levels were determined in 40 children with OAB and in a control group of 20 children with no urinary symptoms. Urine samples were collected from the patients prior to and at 3 and 6 months after the beginning of treatment. The total NGF levels (pg/mL) were further normalized to the concentration of urinary creatinine (NGF/Cr level).


RESULTS
Overall, both NGF and NGF/Cr levels were significantly higher at the beginning of the study. Mean NGF levels were 30.75 ± 8.35 and 9.75 ± 2.11 pg/ml (p = 0.023) and mean NGF/Cr levels were 0.53 ± 0.14 and 0.16 ± 0.04 (p = 0.022) in patients and controls, respectively. After 6 months of therapy, the NGF/Cr level was significantly reduced to almost control levels (0.16 ± 0.02, p = 0.047).


CONCLUSIONS
NGF and NGF/Cr levels were significantly higher in children with OAB than controls at initial evaluation. Furthermore, the NGF/Cr level was significantly reduced following 6 months of therapy. NGF and NGF/Cr levels show promise as reliable biomarkers for OAB diagnosis and to monitor therapy in the pediatric age group.
Department of Urology, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, 34093 Capa, Istanbul, Turkey. tayfuno@istanbul.edu.tr
Tayfun
T
Oktar
Taner
T
Kocak
Yıldız
Y
Oner-Iyidogan
Selcuk
S
Erdem
Muhammed
M
Seyithanoglu
Orhan
O
Ziylan
Hikmet
H
Kocak
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000652:urine*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003404:Creatinine / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000652:urine*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D053201:Urinary Bladder, Overactive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000652:urine*
D015415:Biomarkers; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor; D003404:Creatinine