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Urinary endothellin-1 level in children with pyelonephritis and hydronephrosis

Mostafa Sharifian1, Mitra Ahmadi, Abdollah Karimi

  • 1Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran. sharifian.dorche@gmail.com

Saudi Journal of Kidney Diseases and Transplantation : an Official Publication of the Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation, Saudi Arabia
|July 3, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Urinary endothelin-1 (ET-1) levels are significantly higher in children with hydronephrosis and urinary tract infection (UTI). This finding suggests urinary ET-1 may serve as a valuable diagnostic marker for obstructive hydronephrosis in young children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nephrology
  • Urology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Hydronephrosis is frequently observed in children with urinary tract infections (UTIs).
  • Endothelin-1 (ET-1), a vasoconstrictive peptide, is known to increase with urinary obstruction.
  • Elevated urinary ET-1 levels have been linked to urinary tract obstructions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate urinary endothelin-1 (ET-1) levels in pediatric patients with urinary tract infections (UTIs) and hydronephrosis.
  • To assess the potential of urinary ET-1 as a biomarker for diagnosing hydronephrosis, particularly obstructive cases, in children.

Main Methods:

  • A case-control study involving 45 children with UTI and hydronephrosis (cases) and 45 children with UTI but no hydronephrosis (controls).
  • Quantification of urinary ET-1 using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
  • Measurement of urinary creatinine (Cr) via the Jaffe method to normalize ET-1 levels for urinary flow rate.

Main Results:

  • The mean urinary ET-1 level was significantly higher in the hydronephrosis group (89.6 ± 41.7 pg/dL) compared to the control group (29.3 ± 26 pg/dL) (P <0.001).
  • Patients with grade 4 hydronephrosis exhibited a mean urinary ET-1 level of 121 ± 55.4 pg/dL.
  • Urinary ET-1 levels were notably elevated in obstructed cases versus non-obstructed cases.

Conclusions:

  • Urinary endothelin-1 (ET-1) is significantly elevated in pediatric patients with hydronephrosis, especially obstructive types.
  • Urinary ET-1 shows promise as a non-invasive biomarker for the diagnosis of hydronephrosis in young children.
  • Further research can validate urinary ET-1 for early detection and management of obstructive uropathies.

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