[Renal excretion of zinc in children with kidney diseases]

The authors investigated the renal zinc excretion in 33 children with chronic glomerulonephritis, in 30 children with tubulo-interstitial nephritis, 12 children with nephrotic syndrome and 31 children with isolated haematuria. In all groups the Zn clearance was slightly raised, as compared with the control group. The Zn clearance was highly significantly elevated in nephrotic syndrome. The authors correlated the urinary finding (proteinuria, haematuria, leucocyturia) with Zn clearance. Children with a positive urinary finding had a higher Zn clearance than those with a negative finding. There was a close correlation between selective proteinuria and Zn clearance in children with nephrotic syndrome.