Abstract:
Chronic Kidney Disease of uncertain aetiology (CKDu) is a public health problem in several
countries in Central America, India and SriLanka. Urine analysis is an informative and
noninvasive diagnostic tool for the presence and severity of kidney disease. The purpose of
this study is to determine the findings of urine analysis of CKDu patients compared to CKD
and healthy control groups.
In CKDu group, 119 of biopsy proven, non-dialysis patients and for control groups, endemic
healthy, endemic CKD, non-endemic healthy and non-endemic CKD, 79, 82, 85 and 85
respectively were recruited. Random urine samples were collected for urine analysis. Blood
was drawn and centrifuged to obtain serum to measure serum creatinine.
In CKDu patients, the average level of Serum creatinine, pH and specific gravity were 178.15
± 122, 5.25 ± 0.5 and 1.023 ± 0.003 respectively. There were not any gender significance in
urine PH and specific gravity of CKDu patients. Only 31 CKDu patients (26%) were positive
(> 1+) for proteinuria while 4 patients (3%) were positive for glucosuria. Proteinuria of
CKDu patients showed a weak positive correlation (r = 0.477, p < 0.05) with serum
creatinine and weak negative correlation (r = -0.353, p < 0.05) with the eGFR. Urine samples
of CKDu patients had not active deposits, whereas with few granular casts. Urine PH of
CKDu patients was significantly decreased with the endemic healthy control (p < 0.05) while
specific gravity was significantly decreased with non-endemic CKD patients (p < 0.05) and
healthy controls (p < 0.05). According to the odds ratio, urine protein is 4.7 times high for
CKDu than non-endemic CKD whiles such significant difference was not seen with the
endemic CKD.
Proteinuria was not prominent among CKDu patients like in CKD patients in the endemic
and non-endemic area. Sediment analysis was not showed significant findings compared to
the control groups.
