Urinary epidermal growth factor excretion in children with chronic renal failure

To investigate the excretion of urinary epidermal growth factor (EGF) in ch ildren with chronic renal failure (CRF), we have measured the urinary EGF/c reatinine ratio (EGF/Cr) and the 24-hour urine EGF concentration in 19 chil dren with CRF, 11 children with kidney disease and normal creatinine cleara nce, and 12 healthy children. Children with CRF had a significantly lower d aily urine EGF concentration as well as urinary EGF/Cr. In contrast, childr en with kidney disease and normal renal function had normal daily urine EGF levels and urinary EGF/Cr. Accompanied by no difference in serum EGF betwe en these two groups of patients, these data provide indirect evidence of th e kidney as a source of human urinary EGF. There was a positive correlation of urinary EGF/Cr with creatinine clearance in all renal patients (r = 0.6 08, n = 30, p < 0.001). A much better correlation was found between daily u rine EGF and creatinine clearance (r = 0.855, n = 30, p < 0.001). Our resul ts implicate that there is a functional relationship between glomerular fil tration and urinary EGF excretion, and that the urinary EGF/Cr may be a rel iable indicator of urinary EGF excretion in children with CRF.