Abstract

Aim: There are some difficulties for determining the location of urinary tract infection in children. Serum amyloid A is an acute phase reactant synthesized mostly in liver and elevated in various infectious and inflammatory conditions. In this study we aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of serum amyloid A in the localization of urinary tract infection in children. Methods: Twenty two patients with urinary tract infection were included in the study, who were treated either in outpatient clinic or by hospitalization in İnönü University Medical School Department of Pediatrics. Before treatment body temperatures (axillary) were measured, blood sampling was performed for detection of leukocyte count, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rates and serum amyloid A, urine samples were obtained for routine urine examination and culture. Obtained data were evaluated with One-Sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Student t, Mann-Whitney U, Chi-square tests and Spearman's correlation analysis by using SPSS 11.5 programme. Results: Twenty-two (11 girls, 11 boy s) patients vuere included in the study. According to the presence of hyperthermia, leukocytosis, C-reactiue protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate elevation, patients ar e evaluated as lower or upper urinary tract infection. Among compahsons between two groups only C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rates vuere found to be statistically significant (p<0.05). There voere no significant relationship between serum amyloid A and the location of the infectium (p>0.05) and similarly no correlation betvueen C-reactiue protein and serum amyloid A values. Conclusion: We could not find a significant relation between serum amyloid A and urinary tract infection localization in children. Also no correlation was found between serum amyloid A and C reactive protein which was significantly related with upper urinary tract infection.