Abstract: Objective · To evaluate the changes of urinary angiotensinogen (UAGT), fibroblast-specific protein-1 (FSP-1) and thrombin in the children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis (HSPN). Methods · Fourteen children with HSPN (HSPN group), 28 children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) but without renal injury (HSP group) and 23 children with normal urinalysis (control group) were included in the study. Ten HSPN children before treatment (untreated group), 9 HSPN children after glucocorticoid (GC) pulse therapy (GC group) and 8 HSPN children after GC and cyclophosphamide (CTX) double pulse therapy (GC+CTX group) were also selected in the study. Clinical information and fresh morning urine samples were collected from all the children. UAGT, FSP-1 and thrombin in urine were measured by kits. Urine creatinine (Ucr) was also measured for correction. Results · UAGT/Ucr and FSP-1 in HSPN group were significantly higher than those in HSP group and control group (P<0.05). Thrombin in HSPN group had no significant difference, compared with HSP group (P>0.05), but thrombin levels in HSPN group and HSP group were both significantly higher than that in control group (P<0.05). UAGT/Ucr in HSPN untreated group had no significant difference, compared with GC group, while it was significantly higher than that in GC+CTX group (P=0.000). FSP-1 in untreated group was significantly higher than that in GC group, but had no significant difference, compared with GC+CTX group. There was no significant difference in thrombin among the 3 HSPN groups. Conclusion · UAGT/Ucr, FSP-1 and thrombin all increase in the urine of HSPN children, and UAGT/Ucr and FSP-1 may reflect the treatment effect to some extent.

Key words: children, Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis (HSPN), angiotensinogen (AGT), fibroblast-specific protein-1 (FSP-1), thrombin, urinary biomarker