Is There A Relationship Between Urinary Tract Infections and Vitamin D and Cathelicidin Levels?: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study From the Pediatric Emergency Department

Year 2024, Volume: 18 Issue: 3, 174 - 180, 13.05.2024

Alper Çiçek , Pelin Elibol , Banu Isbilen Basok , Dilek Orbatu , Emel Berksoy , Demet Alaygut , Oya Halıcıoğlu

https://doi.org/10.12956/tchd.1366493

Abstract

Objective: Cathelicidin is a crucial antibacterial peptide that is produced in the urinary system and is induced by vitamin D. In order to distinguish between lower and upper urinary tract infections (UTIs), the association between cathelicidin levels and vitamin D levels was examined in this study.

Material and Methods: We analyzed complete blood count, biochemistry profile, C reactive protein (CRP), 25 hydroxyvitamin D, serum cathelicidin levels of pre-treatment children aged 0-18 years who were diagnosed with a UTI in the Pediatric Emergency Room.

Results: A total of 72 children (36 healthy and 36 patients) were included in the study. The mean age of the participants was 83.8±66.22 months, with 40 (56%) female and 32 (44%) male. Our patient group had higher white blood cell, neutrophil, and CRP levels than our control group (p=0.050). There was no significant difference in cathelicidin levels (5.7±3.7; 9.6±10.9; p=0.810) or vitamin D levels (23.3±9.5; 25.9±12.5; p=0.795) between patients with lower and upper UTI. We found a positive correlation between vitamin D and cathelicidin levels in the control group (r=0.346, p=0.030). There was no statistically significant difference in cathelicidin levels between patients with upper UTI and the control group (p=0.054).

Conclusion: Although there was no significant relationship between vitamin D and cathelicidin levels in children with urinary tract infections, a weak but positive correlation exists between vitamin D and cathelisidin in healthy children.

Keywords

Cathelicidin, Emergency, Pediatric, Urinary tract infection, Vitamin D

Thanks

Dear Editor; We wish to submit an original research article entitled “Types of urinary tract infections and the relationship between Vitamin D and cathelisidin:A study from the pediatric emergency department.” for consideration by Turkish Journal of Pediatric Disease. We confirm that this work is original and has not been published elsewhere, nor is it currently under consideration for publication elsewhere. Cathelicidin is an antimicrobial agent that eliminates intracellular mycobacteria and also plays a regulatory role in various processes of the autophagy pathway to increase the fusion of mycobacterial phagosomes with autophagosomes and autolysosomes. In this study cathelicidin and vitamin D levels in pediatric patients diagnosed with upper or lower urinary tract infections before treatment were compared with healthy controls to determine the relationship between urinary tract infection type and severity. Although it could not be proven in our study, the serum cathelicidin levels of patients with UTI and even upper UTI may be higher than healthy children. We have no conflicts of interest to disclose. Please address all correspondence concerning this manuscript to me at [e-mail] Thank you for your consideration of this manuscript. Sincerely, Alper Çiçek, MD Health Science University, Tepecik Education and Training Hospital, Pediatric Emergency Department İzmir, Turkey

İdrar Yolu Enfeksiyonları ile D vitamini ve Katelisidin Düzeyleri Arasında Bir İlişki Var mı?: Çocuk Acil servisinden Kesitsel Gözlemsel Bir Çalışma

Abstract

Amaç: Katelisidin, üriner sistemde üretilen ve D vitamini tarafından indüklenen önemli bir antibakteriyel peptittir. Bu çalışmada alt ve üst idrar yolu enfeksiyonlarını (İYE) ayırt etmek için katelisidin düzeyleri ile D vitamini düzeyleri arasındaki ilişki incelenmiştir

Gereç ve Yöntemler: Çocuk Acil Servisinde idrar yolu enfeksiyonu tanısı alan 0-18 yaş arası tedavi öncesi çocukların tam kan sayımı, biyokimya profili, C reaktif protein (CRP), prokalsitonin, 25 hidroksivitamin D ve serum katelisidin düzeylerini analiz ettik.

Bulgular: Çalışmaya toplam 72 çocuk (36 sağlıklı ve 36 hasta) dahil edildi. Katılımcıların yaş ortalaması 83.8±66.22 ay olup, 40’ı (%) kadın, 32’si (%) erkektir. Hasta grubumuzun beyaz küre, nötrofil ve CRP düzeyleri kontrol grubumuza göre daha yüksekti (p=0.050). Alt ve üst İYE’li hastalar arasında katelisidin düzeyleri (5.7±3.7, 9.6±10.9; p=0.810) veya D vitamini düzeyleri (23.3±9.5, 25.9±12.5; p=0.795) açısından anlamlı fark yoktu. Kontrol grubunda D vitamini ile katelisidin düzeyleri arasında pozitif korelasyon bulduk (r:346, p=0.030). Üst İYE’li hastalar ile kontrol grubu arasında katelisidin düzeyleri açısından istatistiksel olarak anlamlı fark yoktu (p=0.054).

Sonuç: İdrar yolu enfeksiyonu olan çocuklarda D vitamini ile katelisidin düzeyleri arasında anlamlı bir ilişki bulunmazken, sağlıklı çocuklarda D vitamini ile katelisidin arasında zayıf fakat pozitif bir ilişki bulunmaktadır.

Keywords

acil, pediatri, üriner sistem enfeksiyonu, Vitamin D, Katelisidin

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