Diagnostic Utility of High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein and Inflammatory Biomarkers in Pediatric Atypical Urinary Tract Infections
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Atypical urinary tract infections (aUTIs) are often associated with structural anomalies, antibiotic resistance, and an increased risk of complications in children. AIM: This study aimed to evaluate the utility of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and other inflammatory markers in distinguishing aUTIs from typical UTIs. Hs-CRP, CRP, procalcitonin, platelet count, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, immature granulocyte ratio, CRP-to-albumin ratio (CAR), and albumin were analyzed. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included a total of 123 pediatric patients diagnosed with UTI who presented to the Department of Pediatrics at a University Hospital from January 2024 to 2025. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS v27.0, with significance set at P ≤ 0.05. The independent samples t-test compared normally distributed continuous variables between groups, while the Mann-Whitney U-test compared non-normal data. The Chi-square test compared categorical variables. Spearman rank correlation coefficients analyzed continuous variable correlations. The discriminative ability of each inflammatory parameters in predicting aUTI was assessed using ROC curve analysis. RESULTS: Children with aUTI had significantly higher PLT, CRP, and hs-CRP levels, and lower albumin levels. While hs-CRP showed a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 50%, CRP showed a sensitivity of 71% and a specificity of 55% for the prediction of atypical infections. The cutoff values were identified as 80.9 for CRP and 60.5 for hs-CRP. CAR was found to have a sensitivity of 63% and a specificity of 60% for predicting atypical infections. CONCLUSION: Hs-CRP, PLT, CRP, and CAR offer a useful combination for early identification of aUTIs in pediatric patients. These findings support the integration of hs-CRP into pediatric UTI diagnostic protocols to enhance early risk stratification and guide timely intervention.
Authors: D Geçkalan, ÖÖ Şimşek, Z Çil
Institution: Bakırçay Üniversitesi
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7117448179