title: Renal function and injury in infants and young children with congenital heart disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to investigate renal function and injury in infants and young children with congenital heart disease (CHD).
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively enrolled 58 CHD children aged ≤3 years and 20 age-matched controls and divided these into four groups: Group I, acyanotic CHD (n = 24); Group II, cyanotic CHD with arterial oxygen saturation of >75 % (n = 20); Group III, cyanotic CHD with arterial oxygen saturation of ≤75 % (n = 14); Group IV, normal controls (n = 20). Urinary levels of microalbumin (MA), N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), and α1-microglobulin (α1-MG) corrected by creatinine (UCr) were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children with CHD had elevated urinary α1-MG/UCr levels, with Group III children having the highest level. Groups I and III children had higher urinary NAG/UCr levels than those of Groups II and IV. Urinary MA/UCr levels in the three patient groups were comparable and significantly higher than that in the control group. A α1-MG × 100/ (α1-MG + MA) of <15 %, indicative of glomerular damage, was present in two patients in Group I and one in Group III, but none in Group II.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tubular injury can occur in CHD patients during infancy and early childhood. Among our patient cohort, it was most prominent in children with severe cyanosis. Glomerular injury was detected in some individuals with advanced heart failure or severe cyanosis.
authors.affiliation: Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, PLA Navy General Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China. windywarrior@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Jianyong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Yanyan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xiao
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000150:complications* / Q000652:urine; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000151:congenital; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000652:urine; D007677:Kidney Function Tests; D008297:Male