Plasma and urinary soluble adhesion molecule expression is increased during first documented acute pyelonephritis

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nephrology
• Immunology
• Inflammatory Diseases

Background:

• Acute pyelonephritis can lead to renal parenchymal scarring.
• Leukocyte trafficking and inflammatory responses are key factors in pyelonephritis progression.
• Adhesion molecules are crucial for leukocyte recruitment during inflammation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess abnormal circulating and urinary concentrations of E-selectin and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) in children with first-time acute pyelonephritis.
• To determine if these concentrations predict DMSA scan abnormalities indicative of kidney damage.

Main Methods:

• Collected plasma and urine samples from 40 children with acute pyelonephritis (acute and late samples).
• Included healthy and febrile illness controls for comparison.
• Analyzed concentrations of soluble E-selectin (sE-selectin) and soluble ICAM-1 (sICAM-1).

Main Results:

• Significantly higher plasma and urinary sE-selectin and sICAM-1 levels were found during acute pyelonephritis compared to controls.
• Elevated levels were noted in acute samples versus late samples.
• No correlation was found between sE-selectin or sICAM-1 levels and DMSA scan findings.

Conclusions:

• Plasma and urinary sE-selectin and sICAM-1 are elevated in acute pyelonephritis.
• These elevated adhesion molecule concentrations do not correlate with DMSA scan abnormalities.
• Further research may be needed to understand the role of these molecules in pyelonephritis outcomes.