Renal assessment in teenage patients with cystic fibrosis - preliminary report.

BACKGROUND

Together with increasing life expectancy of patients with cystic fibrosis CF, there is a growing need to deal with unforeseen problems and complications. Among others renal dysfunction has become of great concern.

AIM

Evaluation of renal function in CF children.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We performed cross-sectional study on a group of 11 teenage inpatients with CF. Physical examination, past medical history analysis, renal function measurements and analysis were conducted in all of them. Renal assessment included: serum cystatin C and creatinine levels, measured and estimated creatinine clearance, estimated cystatin C clearance, urine indicators of crystallization risk and renal ultrasonography.

RESULTS

One patient had elevated serum cystatin C level and diminished McIsaac equation. Renal ultrasound revealed non-congenital anomaly in 1 case - it was nephrolithiasis. All the individuals had elevated at least 1 urine indicator of crystallization risk.

CONCLUSION

There is a great need of good, standardized test of renal function in cystic fibrosis patients. The focus of research should turn towards finding a tool similar to faecal elastase, which is cheap, easy to perform, sensitive and specific, and can be used to confirm the diagnosis.