Skip to main content
Log in

Renal functional maturation: renal handling of proteins by mature and immature newborns

  • Original Investigations
  • Published:
European Journal of Pediatrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Renal clearance of creatinine (Ccr), total protein excterion, urinary protein composition and renal clearance of albumin (Calb) were measured and calculated in male premature and mature infants of gestational age 29–41 weeks and in mature infants 1 and 3 months of age. Total protein excretion decreased slightly but not significantly during maturation. The urinary protein composition changed significantly as the fraction of low molecular weight proteins decreased from 38% at a gestational age of 29–33 weeks to 24% in mature infants aged 3 months, the albumin fraction increased from 39%–46% and the proportion of higher molecular weight proteins increased from 12%–29%, respectively. Calb decreased from 2.73–0.80 μl/min/1.73 m2 in the presence of a rise in Ccr, resulting in a significant fall of the ratio Calb/Ccr from 0.0137 in the youngest prematures to 0.00147 in 3-month-old mature infants.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

Ccr :

clearance of craatinine

Calb :

clearance of albumin

GA:

gestational age

GFR:

glomerular filtration rate

HMW:

high molecular weight

LMW:

low molecular weight

A:

albumin

References

  1. Alt JM, Jänig H, Schurek HJ, Stolte H (1979) Study of renal protein excretion in chronic pyelonephritis. Contrib Nephrol 16:37–43

    Google Scholar 

  2. Arant BS (1978) Developmental patterns of renal functional maturation compared in the human neonate. J Pediatr 92:705–712

    Google Scholar 

  3. Baldamus CA, Galaske RG, Eisenbach GM, Stolte H (1975) Glomerular protein filtration in normal and nephritic rats: a micropuncture study. Contrib Nephrol 1:37–49

    Google Scholar 

  4. Barnett HL (1950) Kidney function in young infants. Pediatrics 5: 171–179

    Google Scholar 

  5. Barratt TM, McLaine PN, Soothill JF (1970) Albumin excretion as a measure of glomerular dysfunction in children. Arch Dis Child 45:496–501

    Google Scholar 

  6. Barratt TM, Crawford R (1970) Lysozyme excretion as a measure of renal tubular dysfunction in children. Clin Sci 39:457–465

    Google Scholar 

  7. Carone FA, Peterson DR, Oparil S, Pullman TN (1979) Renal tubular transport and catabolism of proteins and peptides. Kidney Int 16:271–278

    Google Scholar 

  8. Cruse P (1877) Über das Verhalten des Harns bei Säuglingen. Jb Kinderheilk 11:393–432

    Google Scholar 

  9. Davies AG, Postlethwaite RJ, Price DA, Burn JL, Houlton CA, Fielding BA (1984) Urmary albumin excretion in school children. Arch Dis Child 59:625–630

    Google Scholar 

  10. Dubowitz LM, Dubowitz V, Goldberg C (1970) Clinical assessment of gestational age in newborn infants. J Pediatr 77:1–10

    Google Scholar 

  11. Franz T, v Reuss A (1914) Beiträge zur Kenntnis des Harns der ersten Lebenstage. Z Kinderheilkd 11:193–229

    Google Scholar 

  12. Galaske RG, Baldamus CA, Stotte H (1978) Plasma protein handling in the rat kidney: micropuncture experiments in the acute heterologous phase of anti-GBM-nephritis. Pflügers Arch 375:269–277

    Google Scholar 

  13. Galaske RG, Van Liew JB, Feld LG (1979) Filtration and reabsorption of endogenous low-molecular-weight protein in the rat kidney. Kidney Int 16:394–403

    Google Scholar 

  14. Hardwicke J, Cameron JS, Harrison JF, Soothill BJF (1970) Proteinuria, studied by clearances of individual macromolecules. In: Manuel Y, Revillard JP, Betuel H (eds) Proteins in normal and pathological urine. Karger, Basel, pp 111–152

    Google Scholar 

  15. Horster M, Kemmler BJ, Valtin H (1971) Intracortical distribution of number and volume of glomeruli during postnatal maturation in the dog. J Clin Invest 50:796–800

    Google Scholar 

  16. Horster M, Valtin H (1971) Postnatal development of renal function: micropuncture and clearance studies in the dog. J Clin Invest 50:779–795

    Google Scholar 

  17. Hoyer JR, Spiro RG (1978) Studies on the rat glomerular basement membrane: age-related changes in composition. Arch Biochem Biophys 185:496–503

    Google Scholar 

  18. Hubbard RS, Garbitt HR (1935) The determination of protein in cerebrospinal fluid. Am J Clin Pathol 5:433–442

    Google Scholar 

  19. Karlsson FA, Hellsing K (1976) Urinary protein excretion in early infancy. J Pediatr 89:89–90

    Google Scholar 

  20. Karlsson FA, Hardell LI, Hellsing K (1979) A prospective study of urinary proteins in early infancy. Acta Paediatr Scand 68:663–667

    Google Scholar 

  21. Kuehn KW, Ryan GB, Hein STJ, Galaske RG, Karnowsky MJ (1977) An ultrastructural study of the mechanism of proteinuria in rat nephrotoxic nephritis. Lab Invest 36:375–387

    Google Scholar 

  22. Larsson L, Maunsbach AB (1980) The ultrastructural development of the glomerular filtration barrier in the rat kidney: a morphometric analysis. J Ultrastruct Res 72:392–406

    Google Scholar 

  23. Liappis N (1979) Bestimmung der Kreatininkonzentration im Serum und Harn mit dem Beckmann-Kreatinin-Analysator. Z Klin Pädiatr 191:66–71

    Google Scholar 

  24. Lowry OH, Rosebrough NJ, Farr AC (1951) Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem 193:265–275

    Google Scholar 

  25. Maack Th (1975) Renal handling of low molecular weight proteins. Am J Med 58:57–64

    Google Scholar 

  26. Miltenyi M (1979) Urinary protein excretion in healthy children. Clin Nephrol 12:216–221

    Google Scholar 

  27. Olbing H, Blaufox MD, Aschinberg LC, Silkalns GJ, Bernstein J, Spitzer A, Edelmann CM (1973) Postnatal changes in renal glomerular blood flow, distribution in puppies. J Clin Invest 52:2885–2895

    Google Scholar 

  28. Reeves W, Caulfield JP, Farquar MG (1978) Differentiation of epithelial food processes and filtration slits. Lab Invest 39:90–100

    Google Scholar 

  29. Renner E, Heinecke G, Lange H (1975) Clinical value of the renal protein clearance determination. Contrib Nephrol 1:134–142

    Google Scholar 

  30. Rüchel R, Meseke S, Wolfrum DI, Neuhoff V (1973) Mikroelektrophorese an kontinuierlichen Polyacrylamid-Gradienten Gelen. Hoppe-Seyler's Z Physiol Chem 354:1351–1368

    Google Scholar 

  31. Siegel SR, Oh W (1976) Renal function as a marker of human fetal maturation. Acta Paediatr Scand 65:481–485

    Google Scholar 

  32. Spitzer A, Brandis M (1974) Functional and morphological maturation of the superficial nephrons. J Clin Invest 53:279–287

    Google Scholar 

  33. Stransky E, Balint A (1920) Die Nierenfunktion im Säuglingsalter. Jb Kinderheilkunde 93:350–359

    Google Scholar 

  34. Vernier RI, Birch-Anderson A (1963) Studies of the human fetal kidney. II. Permeability changes of the developing glomerulus. J Ultrastruc Res 8:66–88

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Galaske, R.G. Renal functional maturation: renal handling of proteins by mature and immature newborns. Eur J Pediatr 145, 368–371 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00439240

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00439240

Key words

Navigation