Yonsei Med J.  2011 May;52(3):476-481. 10.3349/ymj.2011.52.3.476.

Microalbuminuria in Normal Korean Children

• Kwak BO
• Lee ST
• Chung S
• Kim KS

• KMID: 1777020
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2011.52.3.476

Abstract

PURPOSE
Although microalbuminuria is known as a predictor of clinical nephropathy and cardiomyopathy, few studies have investigated the incidence and reference range of microalbuminuria in healthy children. This study aimed to establish a reference range and to study the age-related trend for spot urine microalbumin/creatinine ratio in a Korean pediatric population.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
352 healthy children were studied from July 2007 through March 2010. Height, weight, serum creatinine, spot urine microalbumin/creatinine ratio, and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were obtained for each subject. We divided the study population into 5 groups according to age, and compared the spot urine microalbumin/creatinine ratio with other variables using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), regression analysis and Pearson's correlation analysis.
RESULTS
In this study, the data showed that the spot urine microalbumin/creatinine ratio decreased with age: 1-12 months, 22.72+/-13.80 mg/mmol (2SD: 3.33-54.40 mg/mmol); 13-28 months, 16.34+/-9.58 mg/mmol (2SD: 3.16-35.19 mg/mmol); 29-48 months, 13.12+/-9.74 mg/mmol (2SD: 3.01-41.57 mg/mmol); 4-6 years, 10.58+/-8.13 mg/mmol (2SD: 0.00-30.19 mg/mmol); and 7-19 years, 5.13+/-5.44 mg/mmol (2SD: 0.45-14.45 mg/mmol). The spot urine microalbumin/creatinine ratio showed correlation with age, height, height z-score, weight, weight z-score, GFR, body mass index (BMI) and body surface area (BSA).
CONCLUSION
The spot urine microalbumin/creatinine ratio in normal Korean children decreased with age. This ratio could potentially be used to establish reference ranges and cutoff values for Korean children and to predict nephropathy and cardiomyopathy.

Keyword

Microalbuminuria; children

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
Age Factors
Albuminuria/*epidemiology
Analysis of Variance
Child
Child, Preschool
Creatine/urine
Female
Glomerular Filtration Rate
Humans
Infant
Male
Reference Values
Regression Analysis
Republic of Korea/epidemiology
Young Adult

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Spot urine microalbumin/creatinine ratios of healthy children (mean+2SD).

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  Fig. 2 Correlation of age with spot urine microalbumin/creatinine ratio and glomerular filtration rate (GFR).

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