title: [Comparative study of C-reactive protein and procalcitonin in the severity diagnosis of pyelonephritis in children].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to compare two biologic parameters; C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) in the detection of acute renal lesions assessed by DMSA scintigraphy in the urinary tract infection in child.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a prospective study, serum PCT, CRP and leukocyte counts were measured for children admitted, between January and December 2010, with a first episode of febrile urinary tract infection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-five children were enrolled in the study. Thirty-three patients had renal lesions (group A) and 42 had a normal DMSA scintigraphy (group B). The mean PCT level was significantly higher in group A than in group B (8.81 ng/mL versus 1.7 ng/mL, P=0.01). In this study, using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, we identified that the optimal cut-off value with ideal sensitivity and specificity for PCT in detection of renal lesions was 0.76 ng/mL and for CRP, it was 70 mg/L. The sensitivity, the negative predictive value and the indice of Youden of the cut-off value of PCT were significantly higher than CRP (82% versus 70%; 84% versus 70% and 0.58 versus 0.25).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirmed that the serum PCT level was more sensitive and specific than the CRP in the detection of renal lesions in the first urinary tract infection in child.
authors.affiliation: Service de pédiatrie, CHU Farhat Hached, avenue Ibn El Jazzar, 4000 Sousse, Tunisie. jbouguila@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bouguila
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Khalef
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Charfeddine
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ben Rejeb
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chatti
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Limam
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Essabbeh
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Essoussi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Boughammoura
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D011704:Pyelonephritis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D004113:Succimer
chemical_list: C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D011498:Protein Precursors; D002116:Calcitonin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D004113:Succimer; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide