Urinary albumin excretion rate and puberty in non-diabetic children and adolescents

Slightly elevated urinary albumin excretion rate (microalhuminuria) is a marker of early diabectic nephropathy, but it is unclear if the established definition of microalbuminuria ($20-200{\mu}g/min$) is correct for children and adolescents. We investigated th.: albumin excretion rate, albumin/creatinine ratio and urinary albumin concentration in 150 healthy schoolchildren and adolescents to (a) obtain a reterence value for albumin excretion rate, (b) relate albumin excretion to pubertal stages and (c) evaluate albumin/creatinine ratio and morning albumin concentration as screening methods for elevated albumin excretion rate. Albumin concentration was measured by immunoturbidimetry in timed overnight urine samples. The albumin excretion showed a skewed distribution (geometric mean $3.2{\mu}g/min$, 95 percentile ($15.1{\mu}g/min$). In girls. a peak in the albumin excretion rate was found at the pubertal stage 4 (Tanner) and in boys at stage 5. Albumin/creatinine ratio of 2.5 mg/mmol as a screening level for elevated albumin excretion ($15{\mu}g/min$) showed a high positive (0.88) and negative (0.99) predictive value.