All issues > Volume 40(7); 1997

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1997;40(7):981-990. Published online July 15, 1997.

Urinary Interleukin-1β Levels in Children with Urinary Tract Infection

Kyung Hyo KH Kim¹, Young Mi YM Hong¹, Gyoung Hee GH Kim¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Ewha Woman`s University, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

Purpose
: IL-1β and TNF-α are important mediators of the inflammatory response in serious bacterial infections. The mucosal and systemic IL-1β and TNF-α responses to urinary tract infection are analyzed in children with acute urinary tract infection.
Methods
: We studied the levels of these two cytokines in the urine and sera of 21 children at diagnosis and after treatment with sandwich ELISA method.
Results
: The mean urinary IL-1β level in acute UTI was 3.9pg/ml compared with 1.5pg/ml in febrile group and 1.6pg/ml in the normal control group(p< 0.05). TNF-α was not elevated in urine in children with UTI or other groups. These results suggest that bacteriuria is accompanied by elevated urinary IL-1β levels and that this IL-1β may be locally produced.
Conclusion
: IL-1β is elevated in urine of children with urinary tract infection. This may be due to a local inflammatory response in the urinary tract. Variation in local cytokine production with time and the clinical significance of these observations require further study.

Keywords :Urinary tract infection, IL-1β