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Relationship between serum and urine interleukin-6 elevations and renal scarring in children with acute

Ji-Nan Sheu1, Meng-Chi Chen, Shan-Ming Chen

  • 1Departments of Pediatrics, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan. cshy098@csh.org.tw

Scandinavian Journal of Urology and Nephrology
|October 31, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Elevated Interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in serum and urine during acute pyelonephritis indicate a higher risk of kidney scarring in children. Younger children with febrile urinary tract infections are particularly vulnerable.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Nephrology

Background:

  • Acute pyelonephritis is a common childhood infection with potential for permanent kidney damage.
  • Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a key inflammatory mediator in bacterial infections.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between acute-phase Interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels and subsequent renal scarring in children experiencing their first febrile acute pyelonephritis.
  • To determine if IL-6 can serve as a predictive marker for kidney damage.

Main Methods:

  • Seventy-nine children (1-120 months) with first-time febrile urinary tract infection (UTI) were enrolled.
  • Acute pyelonephritis diagnosis was confirmed using technetium-99m dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) renal scans.
  • Serum and urine IL-6 levels were measured via ELISA before antibiotic treatment.

Main Results:

  • Children with acute pyelonephritis showed significantly higher initial serum and urine IL-6 levels than those with lower UTI.
  • Renal scarring was observed in 34.1% of acute pyelonephritis cases.
  • Higher acute-phase serum and urine IL-6 levels, along with younger age, were significantly associated with renal scarring.

Conclusions:

  • Elevated acute-phase serum and urine IL-6 levels correlate with an increased risk of renal scarring in children with first-time febrile acute pyelonephritis.
  • Younger age is also a significant risk factor for developing renal scarring.
Abstract

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