The value of urinary soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) in children with nephrotic syndrome

Abstract

<abstract><sec> <title>Objectives</title> To investigate the value of urinary suPAR with steroid responsiveness in childhood nephrotic syndrome (NS). </sec><sec> <title>Methods</title> A longitudinal follow-up study was carried out in 92 children diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome (49 initial NS and 43 relapsed NS). </sec><sec> <title>Results</title> The urinary suPAR/creatinine ratio was significantly high in the relapsed NS group (with a mean = 628 (386–1015) pg/µmol) compared with the initial NS group (mean = 509 (237–840) pg/µmol) and the control group (mean = 248 (88–609) pg/µmol) (p = 0.001). In the initial group, the concentration of urinary suPAR/creatinine ratio was higher in steroid-resistant NS (SRNS) than in steroid-sensitive NS (SSNS) after 6 weeks and 6 months of treatment, but the difference was not significant (p &gt; 0.05). In the relapsed NS group, the concentration of urinary suPAR/creatinine ratio was higher in SRNS than that in SSNS (p = 0.02). The urinary suPAR/creatinine ratio had sensitivity (73.9%) and specificity (89.5%) at the cut-off point of 950 pg/µmol to predict SRNS (p &lt; 0.001). </sec><sec> <title>Conclusions</title> Urinary suPAR could help distinguish the steroid responsiveness between SRNS and SSNS in children. </sec></abstract>