Serum intact fibroblast growth factor 23 in healthy paediatric population

Malgorzata Stanczyk; Slawomir Chrul; Krystyna Wyka; Marcin Tkaczyk

doi:10.1515/med-2021-0288

Serum intact fibroblast growth factor 23 in healthy paediatric population

Open Med (Wars). 2021 Jul 6;16(1):1022-1027. doi: 10.1515/med-2021-0288. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Malgorzata Stanczyk^{1

2}, Slawomir Chrul³, Krystyna Wyka⁴, Marcin Tkaczyk^{3

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pediatrics, Immunology and Nephrology, Polish Mother's Memorial Hospital Research Institute, Rzgowska 281/289, Lodz 93-338, Poland.
² Department of Pediatrics, Preventive Cardiology and Immunology of Developmental Age, Medical University of Lodz, Poland.
³ Department of Pediatrics, Immunology and Nephrology, Polish Mother's Memorial Hospital Research Institute, Lodz 93-338, Poland.
⁴ Department of Pediatrics, Oncology and Hematology, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.

Abstract

Introduction: It is believed that fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) can become an early biomarker of chronic kidney disease progression. Data on FGF23 age dependency are inconsistent. We present the results of the cross-sectional study concerning FGF23 levels in healthy Polish children.

Material and methods: This study was conducted in 121 children aged 0-18 years. Kidney function and intact FGF23 levels in serum were assessed. Differences between age groups and according to gender were analysed.

Results: The difference in FGF23 between age groups and according to gender was statistically insignificant. In the youngest and the oldest group, a trend to higher FGF23 levels was observed. FGF23 level in girls tended to be higher than boys, apart from the age group between 1 and 4 years. There was a negative correlation between eGFR and FGF23 (r = -0.26, p < 0.05) - strong in girls (r = -0.38, p < 0.05), but not in boys. In each age group, we found no significant correlation between eGFR and FGF23.

Conclusions: Our study supports the evidence that the FGF23 level in paediatric population is not age or sex dependent. The results can serve as a reference point under clinical conditions and for other studies on the topic.

Keywords: child; fibroblast growth factors; renal insufficiency.