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Accurate detection of hypertension is crucial for clinical management of pediatric chronic kidney disease (CKD). The 2017 American Academy of Pediatrics childhood hypertension guidelines included new normative blood pressure (BP) values and revised definitions of BP categories. In this study, we examined the effect of applying these changes to the Chronic Kidney Disease in Children (CKiD) cohort compared to use of the 2004 Fourth Report normative data and definitions.Observational cohort study.Children and adolescents in the CKiD cohort.Clinic blood pressure measurements.Blood pressure percentiles and hypertension stages calculated using the 2017 and 2004 guidelines.Agreement analysis compared the estimated percentile and prevalence of high blood pressure based on the 2017 and 2004 guidelines to clinic and combined ambulatory blood pressure readings.The proportion of children classified as having normal clinic blood pressure was similar using the 2017 and 2004 guidelines, but the use of the 2017 normative data classified more participants as having hypertensive-range blood pressure (22% vs. 11%) with marginal reproducibility (kappa= 0.569, 95%CI: 0.538, 0.599). Those identified as hypertensive by the 2017 guidelines had higher levels of proteinuria compared to those identified using the 2004 guidelines. There were substantially more participants with white coat and ambulatory hypertension when using the 2017 guidelines (3.5% vs. 1.5%; and 15.5% vs. 7.9%, respectively). The proportion with masked hypertension was lower using the 2017 guidelines (40.2% vs. 47.8%, respectively) with good reproducibility (kappa= 0.799, 95%CI: 0.778, 0.819), and the percentage of participants with normal ambulatory blood pressure was similar (40.9% vs. 42.9%, respectively), LIMITATIONS: Relationship with long-term progression and target organ damage was not assessed.A greater percentage of children with CKD were identified as hypertensive based on both clinic and ambulatory blood pressure when using the 2017 vs. the 2004 guidelines, and the 2017 guidelines better discriminated those with higher levels of proteinuria. The substantial differences in the classification of hypertension when using the 2004 vs. 2017 guidelines should inform clinical care.

Recent reassessment of the use of race in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in adults has instigated questions about the role of race in eGFR expressions for children. Little research has examined the associations of self-reported race with measured GFR (mGFR) adjusting for serum creatinine or cystatin C in children and young adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study examined these associations and evaluated the performance of the previously published "U25" (under the age of 25 years) eGFR equations in a large cohort of children and young adults with CKD.Observational cohort study.Participants in the Chronic Kidney Disease in Children (CKiD) study including 190 Black and 675 non-Black participants contributing 473 and 1,897 annual person-visits, respectively.Self- or parental-reported race (Black, non-Black). Adjustment for serum creatinine or cystatin C, body size, and socioeconomic status.mGFR based on iohexol clearance.Linear regression with generalized estimating equations, stratified by age (6, 6-12, 12-18, and ≥18 years) incorporating serum creatinine or serum cystatin C. Contrasting performance in different self-reported racial groups of the U25 eGFR equations.Self-reported Black race was significantly associated with 12.8% higher mGFR among children in regression models including serum creatinine. Self-reported Black race was significantly associated with 3.5% lower mGFR after adjustment for cystatin C overall but was not significant for those over 12 years. The results were similar after adjustment for body size and socioeconomic factors. The average of creatinine- and cystatin C-based U25 equations was unbiased by self-reported race groups.Small number of children 6 years; lean body mass was estimated.Differences in the creatinine-mGFR relationship by self-reported race were observed in children and young adults with CKD and were consistent with findings in adults. Smaller and opposite differences were observed for the cystatin C-mGFR relationship, especially in the younger age group. We recommend inclusion of children for future investigations of biomarkers to estimate GFR. Importantly, for GFR estimation among those under 25 years of age, the average of the new U25 creatinine and cystatin C equations without race coefficients yields unbiased estimates of mGFR.

Tawadrous H, Kamran H, Salciccioli L, Schoeneman MJ, Lazar J. Evaluation of arterial structure and function in pediatric patients with end-stage renal disease on dialysis and after renal transplantation. Abstract: CVD is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in pediatric patients with CKD. It is unclear whether vascular abnormalities in these patients are reversible, and if transplantation portends salutary effects on arterial function. We compared FMD, PWV, AI75, and CIMT in 15 dialysis (D), 14 transplant patients (T), and 15 controls (C), and their associations with cardiovascular risk factors. There was stepwise lower FMD (p

We report the case of an 8-year-old girl diagnosed with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) with a complement factor B (CFB) gene mutation. aHUS is a disease of complement dysregulation. In approximately 50% of patients, mutations are identified in genes encoding regulators of complement-complement factor H (CFH), membrane cofactor protein or complement factor I (CFI)-or activators of complement-complement factor B (CFB) or C3. The mutation in this patient was identified in exon 12 of CFB and changes a lysine at amino acid position 533 to an arginine (c.1598A>G p.Lys533Arg). The two other mutations previously reported in CFB associated with aHUS are c.858C>G, p.F286L in exon 6 and c.967A>Gp.K323E in exon 7.

The differential diagnosis of macroscopic hematuria in patients with sickle cell disease (hgb SS), and more rarely in sickle cell trait (hgb AS), includes papillary necrosis, renal infarction, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis associated with the hepatitis C virus, interstitial nephritis due to analgesic abuse, pyelonephritis, nephrolithiasis and, very rarely, a renal malignancy, such as renal medullary carcinoma. Acute papillary necrosis is often suspected and is frequently the cause, but further studies are mandatory if the hematuria persists. In this case, the renal ultrasound (Fig. 1) demonstrated an echogenic mass in the upper pole of the left kidney. The computed tomography (CT) scan with intravenous contrast (Fig. 2) revealed a heterogeneous mass in the same location. A tissue diagnosis was required to confirm the diagnosis, and the patient underwent unilateral nephrectomy. Figure 3 shows the gross pathology of the tumor found in the upper pole of the left kidney. The pathologic diagnosis was renal cell carcinoma, papillary cell type, collecting-duct sub-type. Figure 4 shows the microscopic pathology. Our patient had no evidence of metastases and appears to be completely well after 6 months of follow-up.

Background: The mineralocorticoid receptor is protected from excess of glucocorticoids by conversion of active cortisol to inactive cortisone by enzyme 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 present in the kidney. The metabolites of cortisol and cortisone are excreted in the urine as tetrahydrocortisol (5αTHF+5βTHF) and tetrahydrocortisone (THE), respectively. Hypothesis: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and essential hypertension have a functional defect in their ability to convert cortisol to cortisone, thus leading to the activation of mineralocorticoid receptor. Objective: The objective of the investigation was to study the ratio of urinary steroids (5αTHF+5βTHF) to THE in patients with CKD, postrenal transplant, and essential hypertension and to compare the ratio with controls. Design/Methods: We enrolled 44 patients (17 with CKD, eight postrenal transplant, 19 with essential hypertension) and 12 controls. We measured spot urinary 5α-THF, 5β-THF, THE, free active cortisol and inactive cortisone by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. We collected data on age, sex, cause of kidney disease, height, weight, body mass index, blood pressure, serum electrolytes, aldosterone, and plasma renin activity. Blood pressure percentiles and z-scores were calculated. The glomerular filtration rate was calculated using the modified Schwartz formula. Results: The ratios of 5αTHF+5βTHF to THE were significantly higher in patients with CKD [mean ± sd score (SDS) = 1.31 ± 1.07] as compared with essential hypertension (mean ± SDS = 0.59 ± 0.23; P = 0.02) and controls (mean ± SDS = 0.52 ± 0.25; P = 0.01). In the postrenal transplant group, the ratio was not significantly different (mean ± SDS = 0.71 ± 0.55). The urinary free cortisol to free cortisone ratios were significantly higher in the hypertension and CKD groups as compared with the controls. The 5αTHF+5βTHF to THE ratio negatively correlated with the glomerular filtration rate and positively correlated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure z-scores. The correlation of the blood pressure z-scores with ratios was stronger in the CKD group than the essential hypertension and posttransplant groups. Conclusions: We have elucidated a functional deficiency of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 in children with CKD and a subset of essential hypertension. Urinary 5α-THF, 5β-THF, and THE analysis by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry should be a part of routine work-up of CKD and hypertensive patients.

CVD is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in pediatric patients with CKD. It is unclear whether vascular abnormalities in these patients are reversible, and if transplantation portends salutary effects on arterial function. We compared FMD, PWV, AI75, and CIMT in 15 dialysis (D), 14 transplant patients (T), and 15 controls (C), and their associations with cardiovascular risk factors. There was stepwise lower FMD (p0.001), higher AI75 (p0.001), higher PWV (p = 0.01), and higher CIMT SDS for age (p = 0.03) and height (p = 0.006) in the D group than T and C groups. FMD, PWV, and CIMT were unrelated to dialysis duration or time from transplantation. On multivariate analysis, group status was independently associated with FMD (β = 3.15, p = 0.002), AI75 (β = -5.95, p = 0.01), PWV (β = -0.57, p = 0.07) and CIMT (β = -0.02, p = 0.04) and CIMT SDS for height (β = -0.541, p = 0.009). FMD is lower and AI75, PWV and CIMT are higher in pediatric patients maintained on D than T/C. T patients have similar AI75, PWV and CIMT to C although FMD remains reduced. These findings suggest that transplantation stabilizes or improves CKD associated arteriopathy.

An 11-year-old African American boy with sickle cell trait (hemoglobin AS) was admitted for evaluation of intermittent painless gross hematuria for 3 months. Initially, the hematuria occurred once every 2 weeks, but it had increased in frequency to two to three times per week. He denied colicky abdominal pain, urinary frequency, or urgency. There was no history of recent trauma. He had never had a urinary tract infection. He was taking no medications and had no recent history of exposure to high altitude. The family history and his review of systems were otherwise unremarkable. Physical examination revealed: weight, 60 kg (>97%); height, 155 cm (95%); temperature, 98°F; heart rate, 87/min; respirations, 18/min; blood pressure, 116/68 mmHg. In general, the patient appeared healthy and not in acute distress. He had no pallor. The abdomen was soft, with mild tenderness in the right upper quadrant. The remainder of the examination was normal. Admission laboratory testing revealed: white blood cell count, 6760/mm; hemoglobin, 12.3 g/dL; hematocrit, 37.7%; mean corpuscular volume, 73.9 fL; platelet count, 390,000/ mm; sodium, 135 mmol/L; potassium, 4.2 mmol/L; chloride, 105 mmol/L; bicarbonate, 21 mmol/L; blood urinary nitrogen, 10 mg/dL; creatinine, 0.54 mg/dL; glucose 107 mg/dL; calcium, 9.5mg/dL; total protein, 7.1 g/dL; albumin, 4.4 g/dL; uric acid, 4 mg/dL; Creactive protein, 1.4 mg/dL (normal); C3 complement, 78 mg/dL (normal); ratio of urinary calcium to creatinine, 0.05 (normal