Elevated baseline adiponectin level predicting an increased risk of disease activity in idiopathic nephrotic syndrome and chronic kidney disease in children.

BACKGROUND: Adiponectin, an adipocyte-derived protein, is present abundantly in circulation and has anti-atherogenic and anti-inflammatory effects, so we aimed to assess the role of adiponectin in idiopathic nephrotic syndrome and chronic kidney disease in children. METHODS: Overall of 290 children, 95 patients with the steroid-responsive idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (50 in remission and 45 in relapse). Another 95 patients with chronic kidney disease (50 on hemodialysis and 45 on conservative therapies) and 100 apparently healthy matched children were enrolled into the study. Serum adiponectin levels, blood chemistry (protein/albumin, serum creatinine, blood urea and electrolytes levels) and 24-hour proteinuria w studied as well. RESULTS: There was highly significant increasing differences in adiponectin level between the relapsed idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (26.93±6.79 µg/mL) compared to remission (10.96±3.33 µg/mL) and control group (4.89±1.01 µg/mL) and between remission in comparing to control group (P<0.001). Also there was significant negative correlation between adiponectin level and serum albumin level in the relapse group (r=-0.60, P≤0.05), and highly positive correlation between adiponectin level and 24-hour proteinuria in relapse (r=0.98, P≤0.001) and remission group (r=0.92, P≤0.001). Regarding children with chronic kidney disease, There were high significant increasing differences in adiponectin levels in conservative (13.88±4.27 µg/mL) and dialysis (15.09±6.14 µg/mL) groups compared to controls (6.05±5.83 µg/mL) with P<0.001. Furthermore, there was a significant positive correlation between adiponectin and serum creatinine and blood urea levels in both conservative and dialysis groups with P<0.05. CONCLUSIONS: Adiponectin can be considered as an important useful biomarker for chronic kidney diseases in children.

Evaluation of dialysis practice patterns in children having end-stage renal disease on maintenance hemodialysis at a pediatric nephrology unit.

Hemodialysis (HD) involves purifying the blood of waste products through diffusion through a semipermeable membrane. We aimed to evaluate dialysis practice patterns among children with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on maintenance HD (MHD). This cross-sectional study was conducted on 30 children with ESRD on MHD at the pediatric nephrology unit of Menoufia University and 18 age- and sex-matched children who served as the control group. Consent was obtained from children more than seven years old and their parents and from parents of younger children. They were all subjected to full history, complete physical examination, efficiency measures estimation (for cases), and laboratory investigations. Risk factors for death were determined using the logistic regression model; data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software. The study showed that the causes of ESRD in children were unknown in 43.3%; about 73.3% of cases were short-statured and 53.3% were underweight. About 40% of the cases were hypertensive showing a significant difference from controls (P <0.01). A double-lumen jugular catheter (DLJC) was the initial access in 80% of cases. The urea reduction ratio and Kt/V were significantly higher in children with arteriovenous fistula (AVF) than those with DLJC (P <0.0001 and 0.004), respectively. About 66.7% of cases had anemia showing a significant difference from controls (P <0.01). Hypoalbuminemia, anemia, elevated C-reactive protein, and left ventricular hypertrophy were the significant risk factors resulting in death (P <0.0001). Although the most common initiating vascular access used for HD patients was a DLJC, the efficiency of dialysis was significantly higher in patients who had AVF. Stature was affected more than weight in HD patients in the study group.

Serum complement C4a and its relation to liver fibrosis in children with chronic hepatitis C.

AIM: To evaluate serum complement C4a and its relation to liver fibrosis in children with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. METHODS: The study included 30 children with chronic HCV infection before receiving antiviral therapy. Chronic HCV infection was defined by positive anti-HCV, a positive polymerase chain reaction for HCV-RNA for more than 6 mo with absence of any associated liver disease. A second group of 30 age- and sex-matched healthy children served as controls. Serum C4a levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Liver fibrosis stage and inflammatory grade were assessed using Ishak scoring system. Serum C4a levels were compared according to different clinical, laboratory and histopathological parameters. Statistical significance for quantitative data was tested by Mann-Whitney U non-parametric tests. For qualitative data, significance between groups was tested by χ(2) test. Correlation was tested by Spearman's test. Results were considered significant if P value ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: The age of the patients ranged from 3.5 to 18 years and that of controls ranged from 4 to 17 years. C4a mean levels were merely lower in patients (153.67 ± 18.69 mg/L) than that in the controls (157.25 ± 11.40 mg/L) with no statistical significance (P = 0.378). It did not differ significantly in patients with elevated vs those with normal transaminases (152.25 ± 16.62 vs 155.36 ± 21.33; P = 0.868) or with different HCV viremia (P = 0.561). Furthermore, there was no statistical significant difference in serum levels between those with no/mild fibrosis and those with moderate fibrosis (154.65 ± 20.59 vs 152.97 ± 17.72; P = 0.786) or minimal and mild activity (155.1 ± 21.93 vs 152.99 ± 17.43; P = 0.809). Though statistically not significant, C4a was highest in fibrosis score 0 (F0), decreasing in F1 and F2 to be the lowest in F3. When comparing significant fibrosis (Ishak score ≥ 3) vs other stages, C4a was significantly lower in F3 compared to other fibrosis scores (143.55 ± 2.33 mg/L vs 155.26 ± 19.64 mg/L; P = 0.047) and at a cutoff value of less than 144.01 mg/L, C4a could discriminate F3 with 76.9% sensitivity and 75% specificity from other stages of fibrosis. CONCLUSION: Serum complement C4a did not correlate with any of transaminases, HCV viremia or with the histopathological scores. Although C4a decreased with higher stages of fibrosis, this change was not significant enough to predict individual stages of fibrosis. Yet, it could predict significant fibrosis with acceptable clinical performance.

Serum adiponectin and fetuin-A levels in children with nephrotic syndrome.

UNLABELLED: Nephrotic syndrome is associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis and endothelial dysfunction. The aim of this work was to evaluate serum adiponectin and fetuin-A levels in children with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome. The study was carried out on 70 children, divided into 2 groups. Group I included 35 children with steroid responsive idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (15 in relapse and 20 in remission) and group II included 35 apparently healthy children served as control with matched age and sex. The results showed significantly higher adiponectin with significantly lower fetuin-A in patients than controls and in relapse group as compared to both remission and control groups. There was a significant negative correlation between adiponectin and fetuin-A. IN CONCLUSION: Both adiponectin and fetuin-A may be useful markers of activity of nephrotic syndrome. Increased serum adiponectin levels in relapse compared to remission might be the reflection of a compensatory response to nephrotic state characterized by massive proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia and hyperlipidemia. Low concentration of fetuin-A in relapsed children of NS may depend on proteinuria.