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The role of dexamethasone on decreasing urinary cytokines in children with acute pyelonephritis

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Abstract

Cytokines play a major role in renal scar formation following febrile urinary tract infection (UTI). We investigated the role of dexamethasone combined with antibiotics in diminishing urinary interleukin-6 (UIL-6) and UIL-8 concentrations during the acute phase of pyelonephritis compared with standard antibiotic therapy. UIL-6 and UIL-8 concentrations were determined by enzyme immunoassay in 34 children with pyelonephritis who were treated with ceftriaxone plus dexamethasone (case group) and in 20 patients with the same diagnosis treated with ceftriaxone alone (control group). Urine samples were obtained at the time of presentation prior to drug administration and at follow-up 72 h after initiation of medication. Creatinine concentrations were also determined, and cytokine/creatinine ratios were calculated to standardize samples. Differences between cytokine/creatinine ratios in initial and follow-up urine samples were significant in the case group (P < 0.001) but not for controls. In addition, combined antibiotic and dexamethasone significantly decreased UIL-6 and UIL-8 concentrations compared with antibiotic alone (P < 0.05). We conclude that dexamethasone combined with antibiotics significantly decreases UIL-6 and UIL-8 levels in patients with acute pyelonephritis. This suggests that the clinical use of corticosteroids may prevent scar formation following febrile UTI.

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Acknowledgment

Many thanks to the personnel of the Pediatric Infectious Research Center (PIRC) and the nephrology ward of Mofid Children’s Hospital for their contribution to this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nephrology, Mofid Children’s Hospital, Shariati Ave, Tehran, Iran

    Mostafa Sharifian, Navid Anvaripour, Masoomeh Mohkam, Reza Dalirani & Fatemeh Gholikhani

  2. Pediatric Infectious Research Center (PIRC), Tehran, Iran

    Abdollah Karimi & Alireza Fahimzad

  3. Mehr Nuclear Medicine Center, Tehran, Iran

    Mohammad Ali Rafiee

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  1. Mostafa Sharifian
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  2. Navid Anvaripour
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Correspondence to Mostafa Sharifian.

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Sharifian, M., Anvaripour, N., Karimi, A. et al. The role of dexamethasone on decreasing urinary cytokines in children with acute pyelonephritis. Pediatr Nephrol 23, 1511–1516 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-008-0864-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-008-0864-4

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