Copeptin as a novel biomarker in nocturnal enuresis

To investigate the relation between copeptin, arginine vasopressin (AVP), and nocturnal enuresis (NE).

Forty-four patients with NE and 44 healthy children aged between 6 and 14 years were enrolled. Patients with nonmonosymptomatic and secondary NE were excluded from the study. A small questionnaire, filled by parents, collected information about sociodemographic characteristics. Blood was obtained for plasma AVP and copeptin concentrations.

Copeptin levels were significantly lower in patient group (3.74 ± 1.44 pg/mL) than the control group (16.57 ± 3.91 pg/mL), whereas AVP levels were not significantly different between groups. Copeptin levels were significantly lower in patients (3.17 ± 1.15 pg/mL) who had bed-wetting 2 or more nights a week, which is considered as severe bed-wetting, than the patients (4.95 ± 1.24 pg/mL) who had bed-wetting 1 night or less than 1 night a week.

This study demonstrates the presence of decreased levels of copeptin in patients with NE compared with healthy patients. AVP levels were not different between groups. To our knowledge, this is the first report assessing the relationship between copeptin and NE.