Related Experiment Videos

Urinary oxalate and urate to creatinine ratios in a healthy pediatric population

V Matos1, G Van Melle, D Werner

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.

Insights

This study establishes reference ranges for urinary oxalate and urate to creatinine ratios in children. These findings provide crucial data for assessing kidney health in pediatric populations.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nephrology
  • Clinical Chemistry
  • Biomarkers of Kidney Health

Background:

  • Urinary oxalate and urate levels are important indicators of kidney function and metabolic health.
  • Establishing age-specific reference ranges is crucial for accurate diagnosis and monitoring in children.
  • Existing reference data for pediatric urinary oxalate and urate to creatinine ratios is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine reference percentiles for urinary oxalate (UOx) to creatinine (Cr) and urate (UUra) to creatinine (Cr) ratios.
  • To establish age-dependent reference curves for these ratios in healthy infants, children, and adolescents.
  • To provide a normative dataset for clinical interpretation of pediatric urine tests.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of spontaneously voided second morning urine samples from 384 healthy children (1 month to 17 years).
  • Determination of urinary oxalate, urate, and creatinine concentrations using standard analytical chemical techniques.
  • Statistical analysis including nonlinear regression to generate age-smoothed 5th and 95th percentile curves.

Main Results:

  • Reference percentile curves for UOx/Cr and UUra/Cr ratios were established for different age groups.
  • The 95th percentile for UOx/Cr decreased with age, reaching adult levels by 7 years.
  • The 95th percentile for UUra/Cr decreased more gradually, stabilizing in adolescence.

Conclusions:

  • The study provides essential age-specific reference values for urinary oxalate and urate to creatinine ratios in children.
  • These reference curves aid in the early detection and management of pediatric kidney conditions.
  • The data supports the use of second morning void urine samples for routine pediatric urinalysis.

Related Concept Videos