Urinary interleukin 6 and 8 concentrations in children with acute pyelonephritis, before and after treatment

Urinary tract infections [UTI] are common cause of morbidity and mortality especially in young children around the world. Pyelonephritis can lead to scar formation, and subsequent hypertension and renal failure. Interleukins play a major role in renal scar formation following febrile pyelonephritis. The aim of this study was to investigate the level of urinary interleukin-6 [UIL-6] and UIL-8 concentrations during the acute phase of pyelonephritis and after two kinds of treatment. UIL-6 and UIL-8 concentrations were determined by enzyme immunoassay in 34 children with acute pyelonephritis who were treated with Ceftriaxone plus steroids [case group] and in 20 patients treated with antibiotic alone [control group]. Cases and controls were age and sex matched. Urine samples were obtained at the time of presentation prior to drug administration and at follow-up 72 hours after initiation of medication. Creatinine concentrations were also determined, and cytokine/creatinine ratios were calculated. The differences between the cytokine/creatinine ratios in the initial urine samples and the follow-up samples were significant in the case group [p < 0.001], but not for the controls. In addition, combined antibiotic and steroids significantly decreased UIL-6 and UIL-8 concentrations compared with antibiotic alone [p < 0.05]. We conclude that steroids combined with antibiothics significantly decrease UIL-6 and UIL-8 levels in patients with acute pyelonephritis. This result can suggest that the clinical use of corticosteroids may prevent scar formation following pyelonephritis

[Urinary tract Complications in 94 Patients with spinal dysraphisms]

Congenital neurospinal dysraphism is the most common cause of neurogenic bladder among children. Myelomeningocele, which is the most common type of these lesions, is associated with neurogenic bladder in more than 90 percent of cases. Due to critical consequences of this disorder and high worldwide prevalence of urinary complications in these patients and because of no previous studies in our country, we evaluated patients with various types of spinal dysraphism refered to Labbafinejad and Mofid hospital between 1999 and 2005. In this study which was carried out on existing data, we evaluated 94 patients with various types of spinal dysraphisms. Type of spinal dysraphism, history of pyelonephritis, vesicoureteral reflux, renal damage, urinary incontinence, paraclinic findings, type of treatment and outcome of disease were reviewed in the patients records and these data were entered into a data sheet and reported by descriptive-analytic statistics. Sixty eight patients [72.3%] had at least one episode of pyelonephritis. Hydronephrosis was reported in 34.1% of patients as well as vesicoureteral reflux in 35.1%, renal atrophy in 13.9% and end stage renal failure in 3.2% of them. Among 61 patients aged 4 years or older, 47 [77%] had urinary incontinence. Urodynamic studies were performed in 17% of patients to evaluate lower urinary tract function. Seventy six cases [80.9%] had paraclinic findings in favour of neurogenic bladder, from whom 59.2% had recieved medical treatments [CIC, anticholinergic agents, or both] to improve complications of this disorder; the mean age of these patients was 4.8 +/- 4.4 years at the onset of medical treatments. Cystoplasty was performed in 35.1% of cases. Antireflux surgery was also performed in 9 patients [9.6%]. 7 cases out of them underwent surgery without having any treatment for the underlying cause of reflux; in later follow-up, vesicoureteral reflux had relapsed in 6 cases of these latter group. It seems that urodynamic studies are the most accurate means in evaluation of lower urinary tract function and performing these studies in patients with spinal dysraphisms [in newborn period or early infancy] is necessary for diagnosis of urinary tract dysfunction and planning up the most appropriate management for these patients. Failure to treat the underlying cause of secondary vesicoureteral reflux would significantly jeopardize the success rate of any surgery that might inadvertently be done in an attempt to correct the problem