Abstract
Background: The urine protein to creatinine ratio (UPCR) correlates well with the 24-h urine protein test (24-h UPT) and is a reliable indicator of proteinuria. However, in nephrotic syndrome, the correlation between the UPCR and the 24-h UPT tends to decrease. To address this, we introduced the fractional excretion of total protein (FETP), which reflects serum total protein and creatinine levels because severe hypoproteinemia and/or elevated serum creatinine levels tend to occur under these conditions. The 24-h UPT corrected for body surface area (BSA) (24-h UPT/BSA) was used to take body size into consideration. The correlation coefficients for 24-h UPT/BSA and FETP and 24-h UPT/BSA and UPCR were calculated. The statistical significance of the differences between these coefficients was also calculated. Methods: Thirty-six pediatric patients with nephrotic syndrome were included in this study. The FETP was calculated as total protein clearance/creatinine clearance (%). Correlation coefficients were calculated for 24-h UPT/BSA and FETP and 24-h UPT/BSA and UPCR. The statistical significance of the differences between these coefficients was also calculated. Results: The mean ± standard error of FETP was 0.11% ± 0.013%. The correlation coefficients of FETP and UPCR with 24-h UPT/BSA were 0.91 and 0.81, respectively. The FETP demonstrated a significantly stronger correlation with 24-h UPT/BSA than with UPCR (p = 0.01). Conclusions: The FETP correlated more strongly with 24-h UPT/BSA than with UPCR in patients with nephrotic syndrome. The FETP is a reliable indicator of proteinuria in nephrotic syndrome, especially in patients with severe hypoproteinemia or elevated serum creatinine levels.
Original language | English |
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Article number | e15722 |
Journal | Pediatrics International |
Volume | 66 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2024 |
Keywords
- acute kidney injury (AKI)
- fractional excretion of Total protein (FETP)
- nephrotic syndrome
- urinary protein to creatinine ratio (UPCR)