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Glycosaminoglycan excretion in children with nephrotic syndrome

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Abstract

Although most childhood nephrotic syndromes respond to steroid treatment, steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) is also common and is particularly difficult to treat. This study investigated the role of glycosaminoglycans (GAG) in the pathogenesis and clinical course of nephrotic syndrome in children. Thirty-four children (21 males and 13 females, mean age 3.7±1.6 years) with steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome and 20 children with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (12 males and 8 females, mean age 10.9±3.8 years; of the twenty, four had primary SRNS (FSGS) and the others had secondary SRNS) were included the study. Mean urine levels of GAG relative to creatinine (UGAG/UCr) in patients with SRNS (n=20, 113.01±78.46 mg g−1 Cr) and in patients experiencing the nephrotic period of steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (n=34, 132.15±101.55 mg g−1 Cr) were both significantly higher than mean UGAG/UCr for control subjects (n=30, 51.83±47.66 mg g−1 Cr) (P<0.01 for both). Patients excreted significantly more GAG during the nephrotic period of steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome than during remission (132.15±101.55 vs 39.11±42.73 mg g−1 Cr, respectively; P<0.01). There was, however, no significant difference between UGAG/UCr for patients with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome and UGAG/UCr in the nephrotic period of steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome. Urine GAG excretion correlated significantly with the severity of proteinuria. The results suggest that GAG play a significant role in the pathogenesis of nephrotic syndrome but that GAG excretion is not a marker for response to steroid treatment in pediatric patients with this condition.

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Acknowledgement

This study was presented as poster presentation at The World Congress of Nephrology, 2003, in Berlin, Germany. We would like to thank Gülşah Seyda, MD for her help with the statistical analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Adana Teaching and Medical Research Center, Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Seyhan Hospital, 01140, Adana, Turkey

    Nurcan Cengiz & Ali Anarat

  2. Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Cukurova University Faculty of Medicine, Adana, Turkey

    Aysun K. Bayazit & Aytul Noyan

  3. Adana Teaching and Medical Research Center, Department Biochemistry, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, 01140, Adana, Turkey

    Ruksan Anarat

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  1. Nurcan Cengiz
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  2. Aysun K. Bayazit
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  3. Aytul Noyan
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  4. Ruksan Anarat
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Correspondence to Nurcan Cengiz.

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Cengiz, N., Bayazit, A.K., Noyan, A. et al. Glycosaminoglycan excretion in children with nephrotic syndrome. Pediatr Nephrol 20, 486–490 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-004-1739-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-004-1739-y

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