Dietary acid load in children with chronic kidney disease: its association with nutritional status and health-related quality of life.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine the dietary acid load of children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and to evaluate the relationship between dietary acid load, nutritional status, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). METHOD: A total of 67 children aged 3-18 years with a diagnosis of CKD stages II-V were included in the study. Anthropometric measurements (body weight, height, mid-upper arm circumference, waist, and neck circumference) and 3-day food consumption records were taken to evaluate the nutritional status. The net endogenous acid production (NEAP) score was calculated to determine the dietary acid load. "Pediatric Inventory of Quality of Life (PedsQL)" was used to assess the participants' HRQOL. RESULTS: The mean NEAP was 59.2 ± 18.96 mEq/day. Stunted and malnourished children had significantly higher NEAP than those who were not (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in terms of HRQOL scores according to NEAP groups. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that waist circumference (OR: 0.890, 95% CI: 0.794-0.997), serum albumin (OR: 0.252, 95% CI: 0.068-0.929), and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (OR: 0.985, 95% CI: 0.970-1.000) were negatively associated with high NEAP. CONCLUSION: This study shows that a diet shifted in an acidic direction in children with CKD and a higher dietary acid load are associated with lower serum albumin, GFR, and waist circumference, but not HRQOL. These results suggest that dietary acid load might affect nutritional status and CKD progression in children with CKD. Future studies with larger samples are needed to confirm these results and to understand underlying mechanisms. A higher resolution version of the Graphical abstract is available as Supplementary information.

Is coronavirus pandemic-related anxiety higher in children with chronic kidney disease than healthy children?

BACKGROUND: Since the emergence and worldwide spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it has caused people to experience adverse psychological effects. This study aimed to assess anxiety levels during COVID-19 in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD), including nephrotic syndrome (NS) and kidney transplantation (Tx). METHODS: A case-controlled, cross-sectional study was conducted with children aged 10-18 years, who had a diagnosis of CKD or NS, or Tx, and followed in our center between April and July 2020. A healthy control group was recruited with age- and gender-matched children. A questionnaire with printed and online versions was designed in three parts: the first addressed demographic characteristics, the second addressed opinions about the pandemic, and the third was the Turkish version of the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale - Child Version. RESULTS: A total of 88 children completed the questionnaire. The patient and control groups were similar in terms of gender, age, household members and history of psychiatric treatment. Both groups stated that coronavirus is a risky disease for children (63.6%), and that they were afraid of contagion (69.3%). Only half of them were receiving realistic and informative answers from family members. In the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale - Child Version, 66% of them received a high score on at least one subscale. The social phobia scores of the control group were higher than those of the patient group, although the proportion of high scores was similar in both groups. The ratio of high-scored participants was higher in CKD patients for panic disorder, and was lower in the immunosuppressive agent group for social phobia. CONCLUSION: The current COVID-19 pandemic is a disaster that children encounter for the first time in their lives. It does not exclusively cause anxiety among children with chronic kidney diseases but also affects healthy children.

The Effect of "Unclassified" Blood Pressure Phenotypes on Left Ventricular Hypertrophy.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the clinical significance of the "unclassified" blood pressure phenotypes on left ventricular hypertrophy in children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All children evaluated with ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in the pediatric nephrology department between October 2018 and January 2021 were included in the study. Prehypertension, normotensive, white coat hypertension, masked hypertension, ambulatory hypertension groups and 2 other groups including increased blood pressure load, normal ambulatory blood pressure measurements, but normal (unclassified group 1) or high (unclassified group 2) office blood pressure measurements were defined according to the American Heart Association 2014 statement. Left ventricular mass index, left ventricular mass index/95 percentile values, and left ventricular hypertrophy ratios were compared between the groups separately to establish the influence of the unclassified cases. RESULTS: A total of 497 children were included. There were 52 cases in normotensive, 47 cases in unclassified group 1, 50 cases in masked hypertension, 79 cases in white coat hypertension, 104 cases in unclassified group 2, and 165 cases in the ambulatory hypertension group. Left ventricular mass index/95 percentile and left ventricular hypertrophy in masked hypertension were significantly higher than normotensive but similar between normotensive and unclassified group 1 groups. Left ventricular hypertrophy was significantly higher in the ambulatory hypertension group compared to white coat hypertension, and similar between white coat hypertension and unclassified group 2 groups. CONCLUSION: Independent of age, we have found that interpretation of blood pressure load not only has a limited predictable effect on left ventricular hypertrophy but also causes a large group of patients to be unclassified. Cite this article as: Kasap-Demir B, Basaran C, Demircan T, et al. The effect of "unclassified" blood pressure phenotypes on left ventricular hypertrophy. Turk Arch Pediatr. 2024;59(1):43-48.

Pulse Wave Analysis in Obese Children with and without Metabolic Syndrome

Objective: To compare pulse wave analysis (PWA) of obese children with and without metabolic syndrome (MS) with healthy, non-obese children and to evaluate the association between PWA findings and additional risk factors present in children with MS and obesity. Methods: From the obese patients examined between June 2019 and June 2021, 41 patients with MS, 36 obese patients without MS, and 34 healthy non-obese children of similar age and gender were evaluated retrospectively. Anthropometric measurements, biochemical evaluation, 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (BP) measurement (ABPM), left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and PWA measurements were compared. Results: When the three groups were compared, weight standard deviation score (SDS), height SDS and body mass index SDS were all significantly higher in the MS group (p<0.05). The following measurements were significantly higher in both MS and non-MS obese patients compared to the control group: from ABPM measures, the systolic and mean arterial pressure BP SDSs load; from PWA, the night central systolic BP, 24-hour, day and night pulse pressure values and 24-hour, day and night pulse wave velocity (PWV) rates; and from cardiac evaluations, the LVMI and relative wall thickness measurements (all p<0.05). Furthermore, the 24-hour and daytime central systolic (cSBP) and diastolic BP (cDBP) values were significantly different between the three groups, being the highest in the MS group (p<0.05). Conclusion: Obesity causes higher office, ambulatory and central BP, PWV and LVMI. However our results suggest that additional risk factors associated with MS do not contribute to these parameters, except for 24-hour and daytime cSBP and cDBP values.

Evaluation of Pediatric Patients with a Diagnosis of Ureterocele.

Aim: The presence and clinical importance of vesicoureteric reflux in patients with a double collecting system are being questioned. Therefore, the role of voiding cystourethrography in the management of patients with ureterocele is unclear. This study aimed to evaluate patients with a ureterocele in terms of urinary tract infection (UTI) and vesicoureteral reflux (VUR). Material Methods: The cases who were admitted to the Pediatric Nephrology Clinic of Health Sciences University Tepecik Training and Research Hospital between 2012 and 2022 and were diagnosed with ureterocele were evaluated retrospectively. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were obtained from file records. Results: All patients diagnosed with ureterocele and voiding cystourethrography (VCUG) were evaluated. A total of 24 (female 13 (54.2%)) children were included. The reasons for admission were antenatal hydronephrosis in 13 (54.2%) patients, UTI in 9 (37.5%) patients, and incidentally diagnosed ureterocele in 2 (8.3%) patients. Urinary tract infection was observed in 20 patients at admission, recurrent UTI in 21 patients at follow-up, preoperative pyelonephritis in 12 patients. VUR was found in 11 patients, and severe VUR (≥stage 3) was found in 9 patients. Ten patients had ipsilateral hydronephrosis, and 14 patients had a double collecting system. The presence of VUR was found to be associated with female gender, UTI at admission, and recurrent UTI at follow-up (p < 0.05). However, there was no difference between groups with or without VUR in terms of ipsilateral hydronephrosis, scar formation, and the need for surgery (p > 0.05). Conclusions: We could not demonstrate any criteria to select patients to receive VCUG; on the other hand, VUR did not cause more kidney damage. Our study supports the need for more scientific data to determine management in patients with ureterocele.

Prediction of More Severe MEFV Gene Mutations in Childhood.

AIM: This study aimed to present the demographic, clinical, and laboratory features of children clinically diagnosed with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) and to predict more severe mutations by evaluating those findings. METHODS: We enrolled cases diagnosed with FMF with a defined variation in at least one allele. The medical charts of the patients were reviewed retrospectively. The patients were grouped as homozygous, compound heterozygous, and simple heterozygous cases, with and without M694V mutation. We compared the data between the subgroups using logistic regression analysis and determined the risk factors for being homozygous or compound heterozygous for M694V. RESULTS: A total of 263 (M/F =109/154) cases were included. The mean age at the onset of symptoms, follow-up duration, and time to diagnosis were 6.75 ± 3.9 (0.25-17) years, 51.78 ± 39.31 (6-166) months, and 9.23 ± 14.44 (1-132) months, respectively. The rates of parental consanguinity, positive family history for FMF, and FMF in a first-degree relative were 15%, 42%, and 31.4% respectively. The most common symptom was abdominal pain (85%). There was no difference between the growth parameters of the cases during the initial and final control periods. The most frequent alleles were M694V, E148Q, and V726A. The most common accompanying disease was IgA vasculitis (20%). Almost 90% of the cases fulfilled all the defined criteria. The rate of patients having a first-degree relative with FMF was higher, Hb values were lower, and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) values were higher during the attack period; the ESR and CRP values were higher in the attack-free period; and Pras disease severity scores were higher in homozygous or compound heterozygous cases carrying M694V. The presence of FMF in a first-degree relative increases the probability of being homozygous and compound heterozygous for M694V by a factor of 2.39; and each 1 unit increase in the Pras score increases this probability by a factor of 1.43. The threshold Pras score for this possibility is 5.5 (AUC = 0.651; 95% CI, 0.545-0.757; P = .006; sensitivity, 65%; specificity, 55%). CONCLUSION: M694V was the most common and severe mutation in our cohort. The presence of a first-degree relative with FMF and Pras scores ≥5.5 may predict a homozygous or compound heterozygous mutation for M694V.