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BACKGROUND: Proteinuria, in addition to haematuria, is the most important laboratory parameter in patients with nephro-urological diseases. Low molecular weight proteinuria (LMWP) is of particular importance because some diseases genetic and tubulointerstitial are diagnosed based on its presence.AIM: The purpose of this study is to describe the clinical features, the course and outcome of pediatric patients with a renal disease associated with LMWP.MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective observational study included 250 pediatric patients with various kidney diseases in which the type of proteinuria was defined by 4-20% gradient gel sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel (SDS-PAG) electrophoresis.RESULTS: Isolated LMWP was detected in 12% of patients, while mixed glomerulotubular proteinuria was detected in 18% of patients. It was detected in all patients with the Dent-1/2 disease, Lowe's syndrome and secondary Fanconi syndrome. Transient LMWP was also detected in a series of 12 patients with distal renal tubular acidosis. In patients with nephrotic syndrome, it was associated with corticoresistence and unfavourable clinical course.CONCLUSION: This study contributes to the understanding of the clinical spectrum of various kidney diseases associated with LMWP, their natural course, and the effect of therapy.

BACKGROUND: Small for gestational age children (SGA) is born on term with BW and or BL of -2.0 standard deviation score (SDS). SGA children have an increased risk of being short, developing DM, and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. Often defects of IGF1R are the cause of SGA. Most frequently affected part of the IGF1R gene is the exon 2.AIM: To investigate whether the exon 2 of the IGF1R gene is affected in the SGA children.PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cohort of 100 SGA children born in term was evaluated for alterations in IG1R gene. Their anthropometric parameters, IGF1 serum concentrations and IGF1 SDS values were analysed. The molecular analysis of IGF1R gene was performed by PCR restriction-site analysis and followed by direct sequencing of conspicuous fragments.RESULTS: Within our cohort, 64 SGA children were with short stature (height SDS -3.25 ± 0.90 SDS), and 36 were with normal height for their age and sex, (H SDS was 0.20 ± 1.1 SDS). None of these children had microcephaly (occipitofrontal circumference -0.70 ± 1.01 SDS vs 0.06 ± 0.56 SDS in SGA children with normal height) or dysmorphic features. The IGF1 serum concentrations and IGF1 SDS values of all children were within normal range. Only one child had lower normal serum IGF1 concentration. No alterations in exon 2 of IGF1R gene were detected.CONCLUSIONS: The genetic analysis of the exon 2 of the IGF1R gene did not detect any gene defects in the analysed patients. The putative genetic defect in those children affects other parts of the IGF1R gene or another gene (s), or yet unidentified factors.

BACKGROUND: Small for gestational age (SGA)-born children are a heterogeneous group with few genetic causes reported. Genetic alterations in the IGF1 receptor (IGF1R) are found in some SGA children. AIM: To investigate whether alterations in IGF1R gene are present in SGA born children. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analysed 64 children born SGA who stayed short (mean -3.25 ± 0.9 SDS) within the first 4 years of age, and 36 SGA children who caught up growth (0.20 ± 1.1 SDS). PCR products of all coding IGF1R exons were screened by dHPLC followed by direct sequencing of conspicuous fragments to identify small nucleotide variants. The presence of IGF1R gene copy number alterations was determined by Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA). RESULTS: The cohort of short SGA born children revealed a heterozygous, synonymous variant c.3453C > T in one patient and a novel heterozygous 3 bp in-frame deletion (c.3234_3236delCAT) resulting in one amino acid deletion (p.Ile1078del) in another patient. The first patient had normal serum levels of IGF1. The second patient had unusually low IGF1 serum concentrations (-1.57 SD), which contrasts previously published data where IGF1 levels rarely are found below the age-adjusted mean. CONCLUSIONS: IGF1R gene alterations were present in 2 of 64 short SGA children. The patients did not have any dysmorphic features or developmental delay. It is remarkable that one of them had significantly decreased serum concentrations of IGF1. Growth response to GH treatment in one of the patients was favourable, while the second one discontinued the treatment, but with catch-up growth.

BACKGROUND: In the past several decades, the increasing frequency of overweight and obese children and adolescents in the world has become a public health problem. It has contributed significantly to the already high tide of diabetes, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.AIM: To investigate the frequency of insulin resistance and to evaluate the metabolic profile of insulin resistant and non-insulin resistant obese children and adolescents.SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study included 96 (45 boys, 51 girls) obese children and adolescents aged 4-17 years old (10.50 ± 2.87 years). Only participants with Body Mass Index ≥ 95 percentile were included. We analysed sera for fasting insulin levels (FI), fasting serum triglycerides (TG), total serum cholesterol (TC), fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and plasma glucose 2 hours after the performance of the oral glucose tolerance test (2-h G). Homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index was calculated as fasting insulin concentration (microunits per millilitre) x fasting glucose concentration (millimolar)/22.5. The value of HOMA-IR above 3.16 was used as a cut-off value for both genders.RESULTS: Insulin resistance was determined in 58.33% of study participants. Insulin resistant participants had significantly higher level of 2-h G (p = 0.02), FI level (p = 0.000) as well as TG levels (p = 0.01), compared to non-insulin resistant group. Strikingly, 70.73% of the pubertal adolescents were insulin resistant in comparison to 49.09% of the preadolescents (p = 0.03). Significantly higher percentage of insulin-resistant participants were girls (p = 0.009). Moreover, a higher percentage of the girls (70.59%) than boys (44.44%) had HOMA-IR above 3.16 and had elevated FI levels (70.59% vs 48.89%). The difference in the frequency of insulin resistance among obese versus severely obese children and adolescents was not significant (p = 0.73, p > 0.05). Our study results also showed positive, but weak, correlation of HOMA-IR with age, FPG, TG and BMI of the participants (p < 0.05).CONCLUSION: Higher percentage of insulin-resistant participants was of female gender and was adolescents. In general, insulin resistant obese children and adolescents tend to have a worse metabolic profile in comparison to individuals without insulin resistance. It is of note that the highest insulin resistance was also linked with the highest concentrations of triglycerides.

Wildervanck syndrome (WS) combines features of Klippel-Feil syndrome (KFS), sixth nerve palsy, and deafness. This is a case of a 23 year old woman, diagnosed with KFS (a triad of short neck, low posterior hairline and restricted neck movements) at the age of 20 days. The manifestations of the WS in this patient are severe: she has torticollis, and an extremely severe scoliosis. In addition, she is short (-3 SD; parental target height + 0.8SD) and has mixed sensorineural and conductive deafness. She also has ptosis, strabismus and a high myopia. Radiologically, there are multiple coalitions of cervical vertebrae. Intelligence is unaffected (IQ 95), but deafness, strabismus and high myopia forced her early out of school. Karyotype is 46, XX. In brief, this is a patient with severe WS and additional anomalies. Short and/or reduced parental target height is a part of WS.