Abstract :
Background: Zinc deficiency, common in children of developing countries, leads to susceptibility to infections. Relapses in nephrotic syndrome are precipitated mostly by infections. Most of morbidity and mortality in nephrotic patients is during nephrotic range proteinuria. Management of factors which reduce duration of relapse, can decrease morbidity in pediatric nephrotic patients. We aimed to study serum zinc levels, in patients of nephrotic syndrome, at onset/relapse and at remission and tried to find out correlation between serum zinc levels and time to achieve remission.
Materials and Methods: Observational study was conducted in tertiary centre of North India over 12 months. Consecutive pediatric patients, with initial episode/relapse of NS were enrolled. Patients were treated as per standard protocol. Time taken for remission was noted. Serum zinc level was estimated first at confirmation of initial episode/relapse and then at remission. Data were summarized as mean ± standard deviation. Groups were compared by paired t test. Pearson correlation analysis was done to assess association between initial zinc level and time to attain remission.
Results: 68 patients were screened for inclusion in the study but only 49 qualified for final analysis. Serum zinc level was statistically different in all patients at enrolment and at remission. Pearson correlation analysis showed an insignificant and inverse correlation between time to remission and serum zinc level (r=0.14, p>0.05) suggesting that, as serum zinc level at enrolment decreases, the time to remission lengthens.
Conclusion: Zinc level at initial episode/relapse was found to have negative correlation with time to attain remission.
Keyword :
zinc levels, Nephrotic syndrome, Remission, Relapse