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Background: There is currently no specific equation for estimating glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in Chinese children with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The commonly used equations are less robust than expected; we therefore sought to derive more appropriate equations for GFR estimation. Methods: A total of 751 Chinese children with CKD were divided into 2 groups, training group (n = 501) and validation group (n = 250). In the training group, a univariate linear regression model was used to calculate predictability of variables associated with GFR. Residuals were compared to determine multivariate predictability of GFR in the equation. Standard regression techniques for Gaussian data were used to determine coefficients of GFR-estimating equations after logarithmic transformation of measured GFR (iGFR), height/serum creatinine (height/Scr), cystatin C, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and height. These were compared with other well-known equations using the validation group. Results: Median 99mTc-DTPA GFR was 90.1 (interquartile range: 67.3–108.6) mL/min/1.73 m2 in training dataset. Our CKD equation, eGFR (mL/min/1.73 m2) = 91.021 [height(m)/Scr(mg/dL)/2.7]0.443 [1.2/Cystatin C(mg/L)]0.335 [13.7/BUN (mg/dL)]−0.095 [ 0.991male] [height(m)/1.4]0.275, was derived. This was further tested in the validation group, with percentages of eGFR values within 30% and 15% of iGFR (P30 and P15) of 76.00% and 48.40%, respectively. For centres with no access to cystatin C, a creatinine-based equation, eGFR (mL/min/1.73 m2) = 89.674 [height(m)/Scr(mg/dL)/2.7]0.579 [ 1.007male] [height(m)/1.4]0.187, was derived, with P30 and P15 73.60% and 49.20%, respectively. These were significantly higher compared to other well-known equations (p < 0.05). Conclusion: We developed equations for GFR estimation in Chinese children with CKD based on Scr, BUN and cystatin C. These are more accurate than commonly used equations in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) can progress to Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis (HSPN), and the most effective management remains unclear. Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) for treating pediatric patients with HSPN and nephrotic-range proteinuria. Methods Twelve children, seven boys and five girls, mean age 8.33 (range 6-12) years at the time of HSPN diagnosis with nephrotic-range proteinuria, were treated with MMF. All patients failed steroid treatment, and mean proteinuria at the time of MMF initiation was 5.6 g/d. MMF dosage ranged from 20 to 25 mg/kg per day. Patients also received an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (cliazapril) at MMF initiation. Mean follow-up was 3.9 (range 2.3-5.5) years. Results All patients responded to MMF at a mean of 2.5 (range 1-4 months). Among the 12 patients, MMF was administered for 10 months in five, 12 months in six, and 15 months in one. At last follow-up, all patients had negative proteinuria and normal renal function, and no relapses were noted. No serious adverse effects of MMF were noted in any patient. Conclusion MMF is useful for treating pediatric patients with HSPN and nephrotic-range proteinuria. Keywords Henoch-Schonlein nephritis * Mycophenolate mofetil * Nephrotic syndrome, Introduction Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) is the most common childhood vasculitis, with an incidence of approximately 10:100 000 children and a slight male predominance (1.5:1) [1]. HSP is most commonly self-limiting; [...]

We conducted a prospective study in pediatric patients presenting to an emergency center (EC) to (1) test the ability of urinary acute kidney injury (AKI) biomarkers to predict AKI presence and severity and (2) determine if these biomarkers offer similar precision in patients with versus without a known baseline SCr. The accuracy of five putative urinary biomarkers to detect AKI presence and severity was evaluated in 252 children presenting to our EC. AKI was defined by the modified pediatric RIFLE (pRIFLE) system. Eighteen children had AKI by pRIFLE, yet 33-50% of these AKI cases may have been missed since the EC SCr was 0.70 to 0.80) to predict patients with pRIFLE-Injury (>50% decrease in eCCl) versus patients with pRIFLE-Risk (25-50% decrease in eCCl) or without AKI. Our data suggest urinary biomarkers may serve well to detect AKI accurately in the pediatric EC setting, even in cases where SCr levels are normal. Further study is required to determine if these biomarkers obtained in the EC can predict AKI development or progression in hospitalized patients. Keywords Acute kidney injury * Biomarkers * Children * Emergency center, Introduction Substantial research over the past decade has been focused on discovery and validation of urinary biomarkers to detect acute kidney injury (AKI) development prior to a rise in serum [...]