Urinary basic fibroblast growth factor: A noninvasive marker of progressive cystic renal disease in a child

Autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) is a hereditary condi tion with an estimated incidence of 1 in 20,000 live births. Various growth factors have been implicated in the causation of this disease. We describe a child with ARPKD whose levels of urinary basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) were markedly elevated. The concentrations of bFGF increased further following right nephrectomy, in response to the compensatory growth of the remaining kidney. me hypothesize that measurement of urinary bFGF may be u seful as a noninvasive marker to assess progression of cystic renal develop ment. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.