Therapeutic Advances in Urology (Dec 2020)

Increased urinary markers of kidney damage in the institutionalized frail elderly due to recurrent urinary tract infections

  • María-Fernanda Lorenzo-Gómez,
  • María-Carmen Flores-Fraile,
  • Magaly Márquez-Sánchez,
  • Javier Flores-Fraile,
  • Ignacio González-Casado,
  • Bárbara Padilla-Fernández,
  • Sebastián Valverde-Martínez,
  • Teresa Hernández Sánchez,
  • Carlos Muller-Arteaga,
  • María-Begoña García-Cenador

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/1756287220974133
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12

Abstract

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Objective: To characterize the impact on kidney injury of recurrent urinary tract infections (RUTI) in the frail elderly. Methods: Prospective observational study in 200 frail elderly subjects for 1 year. Groups: GA ( n = 100): subjects without RUTI, GB ( n = 100): subjects with RUTI. Variables: age, concomitant diseases, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) at the beginning (NGAL-1) and end (NGAL-2) of the study, urine N-acetyl glucosaminidase (NAG) at the beginning (NAG-1) and the end (NAG-2) of the study, urine transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGFβ-1). Descriptive statistics, Mann–Whitney test, Chi-squared test, Fisher’s exact test, and multivariate analysis were used. Results: Mean age was 84.33 (65–99) years old, with no difference between GA and GB. Mean NGAL-1 was 1.29 ng/ml (0.04–8). There was lower in GA than in GB. Mean NGAL-2 was 1.41 ng/ml (0.02–9.22). NGAL-2 was lower in GA than in GB. Mean NAG-1 was 0.38 UU.II/ml (0.01–2.63. NAG-1 in GA was lower than in GB. Mean NAG-2 was 0.44 UU.II/ml (0–3.41). NAG-2 was lower in GA compared with GB. Mean TGFβ-1 was 23.43 pg/ml (0.02–103.76). TGFβ-1 was lower in GA than GB. There were no differences in the presence of secondary diagnoses between GA and GB. NAG-2 and NGAL-1 were the most determining factors of renal function; in GA it was NGAL-2, followed by NAG-1; in GB it was NGAL-1, followed by NAG-2. Conclusion: Frail elderly with RUTI have higher urinary levels of renal injury markers, specifically NGAL, NAG, and TGFβ-1, chronically in periods between urinary tract infection (UTI). Urinary markers of renal injury, specifically NGAL, NAG, and TGFβ-1, identify early deterioration of renal function, compared with serum creatinine, or albuminuria, in frail elderly with recurrent urinary infections.