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Biochemical parameters of renal impairment/injury and surrogate markers of nephron number in intrauterine growth-restricted and preterm neonates at 30–40 days of postnatal corrected age

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Abstract

Background

Premature and/or intrauterine growth-restricted neonates have an increased risk of developing postnatal renal injuries in later life. Studies on renal physiology in these neonates at a corrected age of 30–40 days are scarce and mostly relate to preterm infants. The data from these studies often lack the results of correlation analyses between biochemical parameters and nephron number—data which could provide additional insight and/or improve recognition of individuals at higher risk of renal failure.

Methods

Urinary total protein and albumin levels and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase and cathepsin B activity were evaluated in preterm and intrauterine growth-restricted infants at a corrected age of 30–40 days and compared to data from a healthy control neonate population. The data were then associated with predominant susceptibility factors of renal damage related to low nephron number, such as gestational age, birth weight, total renal volume and renal cortex volume.

Results

Compared to the control neonate population, we found significantly increased levels of all biochemical parameters tested in the intrauterine growth-restricted neonates, whereas in the preterm infants we observed a significant increase in cathepsin B activity, total protein level and, to a lesser extent, albumin level. Cathepsin B activity showed a significant, strong and inverse correlation with all surrogate markers of nephron number and was also strongly and positively correlated with urinary albumin level.

Conclusions

At this postnatal age, we found that lower nephron number in low birth weight neonates was associated to tubular impairment/injury that could be concurrent with a dysfunction of glomerular permeability. Urinary cathepsin B activity may be a candidate marker for the early prediction of renal susceptibility to damage in low birth weight neonates.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by “Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Perugia “ (Code Project 2014.0252.021) and Gebisa Research Foundation Perugia, Italy.

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Author notes

  1. Maria Cristina Aisa

    Present address: Section of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Surgical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Surgical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy

    Antonella Barbati & Gian Carlo Di Renzo

  2. Section of Biochemistry, Department of Agricultural Sciences, Food and Environment, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy

    Maria Cristina Aisa

  3. Department of Neonatology, Hospital S. M. della Misericordia, Perugia, Italy

    Benito Cappuccini

  4. Centre of Perinatal Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy

    Benito Cappuccini, Aldo Orlacchio & Gian Carlo Di Renzo

  5. GeBiSa, Research Foundation, Perugia, Italy

    Benito Cappuccini, Aldo Orlacchio & Gian Carlo Di Renzo

  6. Minerva Laboratory of Clinical Analysis, Perugia, Italy

    Mauro Baglioni

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  1. Maria Cristina Aisa
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Correspondence to Maria Cristina Aisa.

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The process for obtaining informed consent was approved by the appropriate Institutional Review Committee. This study was conducted in compliance with ethical standards.

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Aisa, M.C., Cappuccini, B., Barbati, A. et al. Biochemical parameters of renal impairment/injury and surrogate markers of nephron number in intrauterine growth-restricted and preterm neonates at 30–40 days of postnatal corrected age. Pediatr Nephrol 31, 2277–2287 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-016-3484-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-016-3484-4

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