To investigate urinary concentrations of antimicrobial peptides and cytokines in children and adolescents with a history of recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTI) and assess their potential as biomarkers for rUTI classification, highlighting the importance of these biomarkers in clinical practice.
Key Findings:
Participants with rUTI had lower concentrations of beta-defensin 1, cathelicidin, and ribonuclease 7.
Higher concentrations of alpha-defensins 1-3, lipocalin 2, and secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor were found in the rUTI group.
Elevated cytokine concentrations (IL-1 beta, IL-6, IL-8, TNF alpha) were observed in participants with rUTI, with a multivariable classification model demonstrating high discriminatory performance (AUC of 0.97).
Interpretation:
The urinary immune profile of girls and adolescent females with rUTI is characterized by dysregulated antimicrobial peptides and elevated proinflammatory cytokines, indicating potential biomarkers for identifying rUTI, which could enhance clinical decision-making.
Limitations:
The study was conducted at a single center, which may limit generalizability and introduce potential biases.
The sample size was relatively small, consisting of 42 rUTI participants and 37 controls.
Conclusion:
The findings suggest that urinary biomarkers could aid in the identification of pediatric patients at risk for recurrent urinary tract infections.
