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Urinary growth hormone excretion in preterm neonates
H Tsukahara1, Y Fujii, M Kuriyama
1Department of Pediatrics, Fukui Medical School, Japan.
Insights
Urinary growth hormone (U-GH) and beta-2 microglobulin (U-B2) levels were elevated in premature infants, especially those with respiratory failure. U-GH primarily indicates renal proximal tubular function in neonates.
Area of Science:
- Neonatology
- Pediatric Nephrology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Preterm neonates exhibit unique physiological challenges.
- Assessing organ function in sick neonates is crucial for management.
- Growth hormone and renal markers require specific interpretation in this population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate urinary growth hormone (U-GH) and beta-2 microglobulin (U-B2) in preterm neonates.
- To correlate U-GH and U-B2 with serum growth hormone (S-GH) and clinical status.
- To determine the clinical significance of U-GH in preterm infants.
Main Methods:
- Measurement of U-GH, U-B2, and S-GH at multiple time points (days 1, 4, 7, 14, 28).
- Inclusion of preterm neonates with varying degrees of prematurity and illness.
- Statistical analysis to assess correlations between biomarkers and clinical parameters.
Main Results:
- U-GH and U-B2 levels were elevated in preterm neonates, particularly in sicker infants with respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation.
- U-GH showed significant positive correlations with U-B2 throughout the study.
- U-GH correlated with S-GH only on day 7.
Conclusions:
- In preterm neonates, U-GH primarily reflects renal proximal tubular function.
- Renal tubular function is influenced by the degree of renal maturation and disease-related tubular injury.
- U-GH serves as a potential indicator of renal health in vulnerable preterm infants.
Abstract:
We measured urinary growth hormone (U-GH), beta 2-microglobulin (U-B2) and serum growth hormone (S-GH) in preterm neonates on days 1, 4, 7, 14 and 28 of age. U-GH as well as U-B2 were high, particularly in the more premature and sick neonates with respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation. U-GH showed significant positive correlations with U-B2 throughout the study but with S-GH only on day 7. Therefore, we conclude that in preterm neonates, U-GH mainly reflects the degree of renal proximal tubular function, which is determined by the degree of renal maturation of the subject and of tubular injury due to disease states such as respiratory failure.