Hypertension and maternal urinary tract infection and the metabolic conditions of preterm infants / Hipertensión e infección del tracto urinario en madres y condiciones metabólicas de prematuros / Hipertensão e infecção do trato urinário maternas e condições metabólicas em prematuros

ABSTRACT Objective: The present study evaluated the anthropometric and metabolic profiles of preterm infants (PT) born from mothers with urinary tract infections (UTI) and mothers with hypertensive disorders (HD). Method: This was a longitudinal prospective study conducted between May 2015 and August 2016. First, 59 mothers with premature birth were included; after excluding 29 mothers, two subgroups were created: UTI-mothers (n=12) and HD-mothers (n=18). The anthropometric and metabolic variables of mothers and their respective PT were analyzed at birth and at 6 months of corrected age (CA). Results: Plasma triglyceride levels were higher among HD-mothers and their respective PT in comparison with UTI-mothers and their PT at 6 m of CA. Conclusion: Plasma triglyceride level is an important metabolic biomarker in HD-mothers resulting in higher triglyceride levels among PT at the CA of 6 m, suggesting an early programming effect of maternal hypertension.

RESUMEN Objetivo: El estudio evaluó los perfiles antropométricos y metabólicos de prematuros (PT) nacidos de madres con infección del tracto urinario (ITU) y de madres con desórdenes hipertensivos (DH). Método: Estudio longitudinal-prospectivo, realizado entre mayo de 2015 y agosto de 2016. Inicialmente fueron incluidas 59 madres con partos prematuros; luego de 29 exclusiones, fueron separadas en dos grupos: madres-ITU (n=12) y madres-DH (n=18). Las variables antropométricas y metabólicas fueron analizadas en las madres y en sus PT al nacimiento y a los 6 meses de edad corregida (EC). Resultados: Los niveles de triglicéridos plasmáticos fueron mayores en madres-DH y en sus PT, en comparación con las madres-ITU y sus PT a los 6 meses de EC. Conclusión: Los niveles de triglicéridos plasmáticos constituyen un importante biomarcador metabólico en madres-DH, determinando valores elevados de triglicéridos en PT de 6 meses de EC, sugiriendo de modo precoz un efecto programador de hipertensión maternal.

RESUMO Objetivo: No presente estudo foram avaliados os perfis antropométricos e metabólicos de prematuros (PT) nascidos de mães com Infecção do trato Urinário (ITU) e mães com Desordens Hipertensivas (DH). Método: Este é um estudo longitudinal-prospectivo realizado entre Maio de 2015 a Agosto de 2016. Inicialmente, 59 mães com parto prematuro foram incluídas; após 29 exclusões as mães foram subdivididas em dois grupos: mães-ITU (n=12) e mães-DH (n=18). As variáveis antropométricas e metabólicas foram analisadas nas mães e nos seus respectivos PT ao nascimento e aos 6 meses de Idade Corrigida (IC). Resultados: Os níveis de triglicerídeos plasmáticos foram maiores em mães-DH, bem como, em seus respectivos PT, quando comparados às mães-ITU e seus PT aos 6 m IC. Conclusão: Os níveis dos triglicerídeos plasmáticos são um importante biomarcador metabólico in mães-DH resultando em elevados valores de triglicerídeos in PT aos 6 m de IC; sugerindo precoce efeito programador da hipertensão maternal.

Tratamiento antibiótico empírico de elección en pacientes con urosepsis secundaria a litiasis ureteral: reporte de sensibilidad local / Antimicrobial susceptibility of bacteria causing urosepsis

Background: Early inappropriate antibiotic therapy for the management of urosepsis is associated with higher mortality. Therefore, to establish an adequate empirical therapy is crucial. Aim: To determine an optimal antibiotic treatment, adjusted according local bacterial resistance in patients diagnosed with urosepsis secondary to ureteral lithiasis. Material and Methods: Urine cultures and blood cultures from a prospective cohort of patients with ureteral lithiasis admitted for urosepsis in our center between November 2013 and May 2016, were reviewed. Patients who presented two or more criteria of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and positive blood or urine cultures were admitted. Antimicrobial sensitivity patters derived from cultures were analyzed to describe bacterial susceptibility to commonly used antibiotics. Results: Data from 31 patients were analyzed. Seventeen blood cultures (55%) and 29 urine cultures (94%) were positive. The most commonly isolated pathogens were Escherichia coli in 65% of the cultures, followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis and Enterococcus faecalis. After performing an analysis of sensitivity and resistance for all bacteria in both blood and urine cultures, amikacin showed the highest sensitivity (100%), followed by 2nd and 3rd generation cephalosporins. Conclusions: Amikacin demonstrated higher antibiotic sensitivity in comparison to other antibiotics for empirical management of patients with urosepsis secondary to ureteral lithiasis.

Serum interleukin -8 is not a reliable marker for prediction of vesicoureteral reflux in children with febrile urinary tract infection

Objective: In view of the side effects of voiding cystourethrography (VCUG), identification of noninvasive markers predicting the presence of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is important. This study was conducted to determine the predictive value of serum interleukin-8 (IL-8) in diagnosis of VUR in children with first febrile urinary tract infection (UTI). Materials and Methods: Eighty children with first febrile UTI were divided into two groups, with and without VUR, based on the results of VCUG. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value positive and negative likelihood ratio, and accuracy of IL-8 for prediction of VUR were investigated. Results: Of the 80 children with febrile UTI, 30 (37.5%) had VUR. There was no significant difference between the children with and without VUR and also between low and high-grade VUR groups in terms of serum concentration of IL-8 (P>0.05). Based on ROC curve, the sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratio positive, and accuracy of serum IL-8 was lower than those of erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed significant positive correlation only between erythrocyte sedimentation rate and VUR. Conclusions: This study showed no significant difference between the children with and without VUR in terms of the serum concentration of IL-8. Therefore, it seems that serum IL-8 is not a reliable marker for prediction of VUR.

Evaluation of the Optimal Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin Value as a Screening Biomarker for Urinary Tract Infections in Children

BACKGROUND: Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a promising biomarker in the detection of kidney injury. Early diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI), one of the most common infections in children, is important in order to avert long-term consequences. We assessed whether serum NGAL (sNGAL) or urine NGAL (uNGAL) would be reliable markers of UTI and evaluated the appropriate diagnostic cutoff value for the screening of UTI in children. METHODS: A total of 812 urine specimens and 323 serum samples, collected from pediatric patients, were analyzed. UTI was diagnosed on the basis of culture results and symptoms reported by the patients. NGAL values were measured by using ELISA. RESULTS: NGAL values were more elevated in the UTI cases than in the non-UTI cases, but the difference between the values were not statistically significant (P=0.190 for sNGAL and P=0.064 for uNGAL). The optimal diagnostic cutoff values of sNGAL and uNGAL for UTI screening were 65.25 ng/mL and 5.75 ng/mL, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that it is not appropriate to use NGAL as a marker for early diagnosis of UTI in children.

Circulating interleukin (IL)-1 beta, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in children with febrile infection--a comparison with C-reactive protein.

Circulating interleukin (IL)-1 beta, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha were examined in 42 febrile children with fever lasting more than 4 days. Their diagnosis were probable viral syndrome in 22, urinary tract infection (UTI) in 10, and probable bacterial pneumonia in 10. None of our study patients had detectable serum IL-1 beta. TNF-alpha levels were significantly higher in children with pneumonia than in those with viral syndrome (p < 0.01). Children with UTI and pneumonia had significantly higher IL-6 and CRP, compared to those with probable viral syndrome (p < 0.01 for both IL-6 and CRP). When appropriate cutoff values are chosen, IL-6 had greatly improved specificity (86.4%, > 20 pg/ml) to demonstrate UTI and pneumonia, as compared to that using CRP (48%, > 40 mg/l). After three days' antibiotic treatment, IL-6 fell to control levels in children with UTI and pneumonia, while CRP remained elevated. There was no difference in TNF-alpha values before and after treatment. Thus, IL-6, rather than IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha, may be a helpful diagnostic tool for evaluation of pediatric febrile infection. Sequential studies involving more patients are needed to determine whether IL-6 is better than CRP in this clinical setting.