Aim. This paper is devoted to the evaluation of clinical and diagnostic value of vascular endothelial growth factor detection in chronic pyelonephritis in children. Methods. The study included 62 patients with different compensation degrees of the disease. Patients were divided into 2 groups - subcompensation (37 patients), and decompensation (25 patients). Renal function was assessed by glomerular filtration rate. Vascular endothelial growth factor concentration was determined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. To assess the renal vasculature, triplex ultrasonography using pulsed Doppler was performed. The endothelial dysfunction was examined by postocclusion test with reactive hyperemia. Results. Vascular endothelial growth factor level had been significantly increasing in patients according to the severity of the disease. The vascular endothelial growth factor concentration exceeded 600 pg/ml all patients who has later developed chronic renal failure. The sensitivity of this indicator at the abovementioned critical point was assessed as 80%. The change of resistance index reflected renal vascularization disorders. The endothelial dysfunction in postocclusion test was also revealed in patients with pyelonephritis. The vascular endothelial growth factor level highly correlated with the glomerular filtration rate and resistance index. Conclusion. Detecting the vascular endothelial growth factor serum level is one of the tools for endothelial dysfunction laboratory monitoring and renal function assessment in in children with chronic pyelonephritis.

Aim. To determine the clinical value of the growth factors concentration in the oral fluid in patients with mild chronic periodontitis. Methods. A prospective study including 30 patients with chronic periodontitis and 20 healthy volunteers was conducted. The diagnosis was made based on standard clinical and radiological criteria. Nerve growth factor (NGF-), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB) were determined in oral fluid samples by using multiparametric fluorescence analysis with magnetic microspheres (xMAP technology, Luminex 200, USA). Statistical analysis was performed using nonparametric measures: median (Me) and interquartile range (Q1, Q3). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to determine the clinical value of the parameters. Results. The chronic periodontitis was accompanied by an increase in the level of nerve growth factor- by 2.2 times, epidermal growth factor by 3 times, vascular endothelial growth factor A by 1.9 times (p 0.05) compared with the control. The platelet-derived growth factor BB concentration did not change. Using the ROC analysis, diagnostic sensitivity and diagnostic specificity of the studied parameters were determined: 89.1 and 91.1% for nerve growth factor , 92.3 and 96.1% for epidermal growth factor, 87.1 and 95.3% for vascular endothelial growth factor A, respectively. Conclusion. Salivary growth factors (nerve growth factor , epidermal growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor A) can be considered as potential biomarkers of mild chronic periodontitis.