Thesis (Ph.D.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Medicine - Department of Pediatrics

Background: Periostin is an adhesion molecule that was reported to have renal histopathologic expression patterns and effect suggesting that it may be a biomarker of chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN) in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of urinary periostin as a marker of CAN in pediatric KTRs and to study the different potentially modifiable risk factors contributing to the development of CAN. Methods: The study included 52 pediatric KTRs (21 patients with CAN and 31 patients without CAN). Urine samples for periostin levels were assessed by ELISA technique. Thirty age/ sex matched healthy controls served as reference for periostin values. Results: No difference in periostin was detected between patients and controls (p= 0.151). Also no difference in urine perisotin was detected between CAN and non CAN patients (p= 0.602). CAN patients were older in age at assessment, had longer pre-transplantation dialysis duration and post-transplantation follow up duration than non CAN patients (p=0.032, 0.023 and 0.004 respectively). CAN patients were more non adherence to medications (40.7% versus 8% with p=0.006), and experienced more frequent acute rejection (AR) episodes (p<0.05) than non CAN patients

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