title: [Procalcitonin, a useful biomarker in pediatric urinary tract infection].
abstract: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common sources of bacterial infections among young febrile children. Accurate diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis (APN) and vesico-ureteral reflux (VUR) are important because of their association with renal scarring, sometimes leading to long-term complications. However, the gold standard examinations are either a DMSA scan for APN and scarring, or cystography for VUR, but both present limitations (feasibility, pain, cost, etc.). Procalcitonin, a reliable marker of bacterial infections, was demonstrated to be a good predictor of renal parenchymal involvement in the acute phase and in late renal scars, as well as of high-grade VUR. These findings need further broad validations and impact studies before being implemented into daily practice. However, procalcitonin may play a role in the complex and still debated picture of which examination should be performed after UTI in children.
authors.affiliation: Unité d'épidémiologie des maladies émergentes, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France. sandrin.leroy@gmail.com
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leroy
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gervaix
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D002648:Child; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D011704:Pyelonephritis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D014718:Vesico-Ureteral Reflux / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D011498:Protein Precursors; D002116:Calcitonin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide