Use of C-reactive protein in pediatric patients with renal diseases

Abstract

Background: the use of C-reactive protein as an inflammatory marker in various conditions is part of novel studies in the field of many specialties such as cardiology and immunology.Objective: to assess the usefulness of C-reactive protein for the diagnosis of renal diseases in pediatric patients attended to at the Eduardo Agramonte Piña Pediatric Hospital in the municipality of Camagüey from April 2014 to January 2015.Methods: a prospective, longitudinal and analytical study was carried out at the nephrology service of the aforementioned hospital and during the period already stated. The universe consisted of the patients who were admitted with the diagnosis of post-infectious glomerulonephritis, nephrotic syndrome and urinary tract infections of the 1 to 13 age group. The sample was made up of 60 patients with less than 48 hours after the onset of the signs and symptoms of the disease. The values of C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were determined, and the specificity, sensitivity and predictive value for both laboratory tests were calculated.Results: the diagnosis of urinary infection predominated in 29 (48,3 %) of the studied patients; 39 (65 %) had high levels of erythrocyte sedimentation and 48 (80 %) had high C-reactive protein levels. The sensitivity and the predictive value for the C-reactive protein were higher than the erythrocyte sedimentation.Conclusions: the study supports the use of the C-reactive protein as an inflammatory marker in renal processes.

Keywords

• c-reactive protein
• kidney diseases
• blood sedimentation