Urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin might be an associated marker for anticipating scar formation in children with vesicoureteral reflux

Abstract

Introduction: Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is considered as the most common urogenital abnormality occurring in children. There is no reliable and routine clinical test that is non-invasive and rapid for recognizing the renal scars from VUR. Objectives: Urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (uNGAL) can be the best indicator for early diagnosis of scar formation in children with VUR. Patients and Methods: Children with primary VUR admitted to Hamadan’s Besat hospital from March to December 2020 were included in this cross-sectional study. A dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scan was employed to assess all subjects in order to diagnose scar formation at least 180 days after the last episode of urinary tract infection (UTI). Additionally, uNGAL and its ratio to urine creatinine (uCr) levels were measured. Results: During the study, all 63 cases (male/female, 13.50) with VUR were included for further evaluation. The mean age of the patients was 59.1 ± 34.7 months (range 2 to 132 months). Twelve subjects suffered from unilateral VUR, while bilateral VUR inflicted 51. According to the disease severity, nine patients had mild, 35 had moderate, and 19 had a severe form of VUR. No significant difference was observed between patients with (n = 31) and without (n = 32) renal scars regarding mean levels of the uNGAL and uNGAL/uCR ratios (P>0.05). Conclusion: We found no significant difference between the groups with and without the renal scar in terms of biomarker levels.