Urinary calcium excretion in a population of children living in Southern Italy
Nuzzo, V.; Fittipaldi, M.R.; Fonderico, F.; Esposito Del Puente, A.; Russo, D.; Del Puente, A.; Pagliuca, A.; Vitale, G.; Caserta, A.; Lupoli, G.
Minerva Pediatrica 51(3): 53-56
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 0026-4946 PMID: 10368567 Document Number: 502163
A group of 122 children (66 females and 56 males), mean age 108.13+or-18.73 months, attending a primary school in Nocera Superiore, Southern Italy, were recruited. Weight, height, body mass index (BMI), urinary Ca excretion (measured as the urinary Ca/creatinine concentration ratio (Uca/cr) in extemporaneous sample of the second urine in the morning) were examined. The Uca/cr ratio was not normally distributed in this childhood population. Natural logarithmic transformation was used to analyse the data. The mean value of Uca/cr was 0.125+or-0.102 mg/mg. A significant correlation was found between the Uca/cr ratio and gender, Uca/cr ratio values were higher in girls than in boys. Mean Uca/cr was 0.144+or-0.113 mg/mg in females while it was 0.102+or-0.083 mg/mg in males. No correlation was found between the Uca/cr ratio and other variables such as age, height, weight and BMI either in the simple or in the multiple linear regression analysis correcting both for the sex and the age. Data by age-group and sex were reported as percentile tables. It is concluded that the variations of the Uca/cr in children from different areas and gender confirm the need for reference standards calculated in the different population groups.