Age-related variations in prostaglandin E-major urinary metabolite values in Japanese children
Takatoshi Maeyama1, Ayaka Takashiba2, Ayaha Hata1
1Department of Gastroenterology, Nutrition, and Endocrinology, Osaka Women's and Children's Hospital, Osaka, Japan.
Insights
This study establishes normal reference values for Prostaglandin E-major urinary metabolite (PGE-MUM) in healthy children. Findings reveal higher PGE-MUM levels in younger children, crucial for accurate biomarker interpretation in pediatric ulcerative colitis.
Area of Science:
- Biomarker Discovery and Validation
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research
Background:
- Prostaglandin E-major urinary metabolite (PGE-MUM) is an emerging noninvasive biomarker for assessing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) activity.
- Previous research linked PGE-MUM to colonic inflammation in pediatric ulcerative colitis (UC).
- Normal PGE-MUM reference values in healthy children were previously undefined.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine normal reference values for PGE-MUM in healthy pediatric subjects.
- To establish age- and sex-specific reference ranges for PGE-MUM in children.
- To provide a baseline for utilizing PGE-MUM as a biomarker in pediatric IBD.
Main Methods:
- A prospective cross-sectional study enrolled 221 healthy children aged 0-15 years.
- Participants were free of inflammatory symptoms and had normal C-reactive protein levels.
- PGE-MUM was measured via chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay; age and sex differences were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Reference ranges for young children (2-6 years) were 18.4-58.7 μg/g·Cr and for older children (7-14 years) were 12.4-50.3 μg/g·Cr.
- PGE-MUM values showed a trend of decreasing with age.
- No significant sex-related differences in PGE-MUM levels were observed.
Conclusions:
- Healthy children, especially those aged 2-6 years, exhibit higher PGE-MUM values than healthy adults.
- Age-related variability in PGE-MUM is significant in pediatric populations.
- These findings necessitate considering age-specific ranges when interpreting PGE-MUM in pediatric UC.
Background:
Prostaglandin E-major urinary metabolite (PGE-MUM) is an emerging noninvasive biomarker used to evaluate clinical and endoscopic activity in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Previous studies have shown that PGE-MUM values correlate with colonic inflammation in pediatric ulcerative colitis; however, reference values for children without inflammation have not been defined yet. This study aimed to determine the normal reference values of PGE-MUM in healthy pediatric subjects without inflammatory conditions.
Methods:
Between December 2018 and January 2022, we prospectively enrolled 221 participants (cross-sectional study, aged 0-15 years) who were undergoing growth hormone stimulation testing for diagnostic purposes and exhibited no symptoms of inflammation or elevated C-reactive protein levels at a single pediatric center in Japan. PGE-MUM values were measured using a chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay and assessed for age- and sex-related differences.
Results:
A total of 218 participants were included in the analysis. Based on age, the participants were classified as young children (2-6 years, n = 147) and older children (7-14 years, n = 66); the reference ranges for the two groups were identified as 18.4-58.7 μg/g·Cr and 12.4-50.3 μg/g·Cr, respectively. The PGE-MUM values tended to decrease with increasing age; however, no significant sex-related differences were observed (median 29.1 μg/g·Cr for boys versus 30.4 μg/g·Cr for girls).
Conclusions:
Healthy pediatric subjects generally have higher PGE-MUM values than healthy adults, with particularly elevated values in young children (2-6 years). These observations suggest that age-related variability must be taken into account when using PGE-MUM as a biomarker in young children with ulcerative colitis.
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