Non-Traditional Risk Factors of Albuminuria in the Pediatric Population: A Scoping Review.

The presence of albumin in urine has been used for more than four decades as a marker of renal and cardiovascular damage. Most of the information on this marker is related to adults. The prevalence of albuminuria in the pediatric population has been reported as being 2.2-12.8% in some countries. Most research in this field is related to albuminuria and diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension. Using the methodology described by Arksey and O'Malley in 2005, a scoping review was carried out to show that the presence of albumin in urine in the pediatric population might be associated with environmental, demographic, congenital, infectious, and non-infectious factors. The information collected is supported by 74 references present in PubMed. The results reveal the multiple causes associated with albuminuria in the pediatric population. This information can be very useful for clinical practice by adding knowledge about albuminuria behavior in children.

Urine TREM-1 as a marker of urinary tract infection in children.

Objective Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells (TREM)-1 is a receptor that is thought to improve recognition of patients with true infection. In this study, we investigated whether Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells (TREM-1) is present in urine samples from children with urinary tract infection (UTI) and in samples from healthy children. Methods A total of 128 samples met the inclusion criteria for the study. Urine samples were processed for culture and urinalysis as a regular protocol for patients with UTI. Samples were classified according to culture and urinalysis results. TREM-1 protein expression was detected with flow cytometry and sTREM-1 was assessed by ELISA. Results Flow cytometry showed detectable expression of TREM-1 in 100% of samples, UTI and non-UTI groups ( p < 0.001). Mean fluorescence intensity of TREM-1 was different between the groups ( p < 0.001). Levels of sTREM-1 were detected in patients with UTI, but not in non-UTI patients. Conclusions All of our patients (healthy and diseased) showed TREM-1 expression. However, TREM-1 levels in patients with UTI tend to be higher and are associated with increased neutrophils and cytokine activity induced by bacteria.