The Japanese Society for Pediatric Nephrology, The Committee of Measures for Pediatric CKD, Tokyo, Japan.
Clin Exp Nephrol. 2013 Feb;17(1):99-105. doi: 10.1007/s10157-012-0658-7. Epub 2012 Jul 14.
Serum β2 microglobulin (β2MG) is considered to be a marker of renal function, which is independently associated with age. However, only a few studies have reported the reference values for β2MG in children thus far, particularly in young children. In this study, we evaluated the distribution of serum β2MG values in healthy Japanese children and assessed its clinical usefulness.
The normal reference value of serum β2MG was assessed in serum samples from 1131 normal Japanese children (504 boys and 627 girls; age 0-17 years). To test the validity of the reference value, serum samples from children with various kidney diseases were also examined retrospectively.
The mean values for β2MG were significantly negatively correlated with age (r = -0.47, P < 0.001). No significant difference was observed between the values of boys and girls in any age group. The established β2MG reference range covered 99.7 % of patients with decreased kidney function below 75 % based on their serum creatinine (Cr) value and body length.
The newly established β2MG reference value in children can be used to detect kidney impairment in children. Serum β2MG in combination with serum Cr used as markers for predicting glomerular function can provide an accurate detection of kidney dysfunction in children.
血清β2 微球蛋白（β2MG）被认为是肾功能的标志物，其与年龄独立相关。然而，迄今为止，仅有少数研究报道了儿童的β2MG 参考值，特别是在幼儿中。在本研究中，我们评估了健康日本儿童血清β2MG 值的分布，并评估了其临床应用价值。
我们评估了 1131 名正常日本儿童（504 名男孩和 627 名女孩；年龄 0-17 岁）血清样本中的血清β2MG 正常参考值。为了检验参考值的有效性，我们还回顾性地检查了患有各种肾脏疾病儿童的血清样本。
β2MG 的平均值与年龄呈显著负相关（r=-0.47，P<0.001）。在任何年龄组中，男孩和女孩的β2MG 值均无显著差异。根据血清肌酐（Cr）值和身高，建立的β2MG 参考范围涵盖了 99.7%的肾功能降低至 75%以下的患者。
本研究中建立的儿童β2MG 参考值可用于检测儿童的肾脏损伤。结合血清 Cr 使用的血清β2MG 作为预测肾小球功能的标志物，可以更准确地检测儿童的肾功能障碍。
