Hong Kong Chinese school children with elevated urine melamine levels: A prospective follow up study
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In 2008, the outbreak of kidney stones in children fed by melamine-tainted milk products in Mainland China has caused major public concern of food safety. We identified Hong Kong school children with elevated urine melamine level fro...
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doaj-5a64a873c74f4e929053b916f68dc51f2020-11-25T00:20:20ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582011-05-0111135410.1186/1471-2458-11-354Hong Kong Chinese school children with elevated urine melamine levels: A prospective follow up studyChu Winnie CWLiu Eric KHWong ChunChan Michael HMHo ChungChoi Kai-ChowKong Alice PSChow Viola CYLau Joseph TFChan Juliana CN<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In 2008, the outbreak of kidney stones in children fed by melamine-tainted milk products in Mainland China has caused major public concern of food safety. We identified Hong Kong school children with elevated urine melamine level from a community-based school survey in 2007-08 and reviewed their clinical status in 2009.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In 2007-08, 2119 school children participated in a primary and secondary school survey in Hong Kong using a cluster sampling method. Urine aliquots from 502 subjects were assayed for melamine level. High urine melamine level was defined as urine melamine/creatinine ratio >7.1 μg/mmol. Subjects with high urine melamine level were invited for clinical evaluation in 2009 including urinalysis and ultrasound imaging of the urinary system.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The age range of this subcohort was 6 - 20 years with 67% girls (335 female and 167 male subjects). The spot urine melamine/creatinine ratio of the 502 urine aliquots ranged from undetectable to 1467 μg/mmol (median 0.8 μg/mmol). Of these, 213 subjects had undetectable level (42%). We invited 47 (9%) subjects with high urine melamine level for re-evaluation and one subject declined. The median duration of follow-up was 23.5 months (interquartile range: 19.8 - 30.6 months). None of the 46 subjects (28% boys, mean age 13.9 ± 2.9 years) had any abnormality detected on ultrasound study of the urinary system. All subjects had stable renal function with a median urine albumin-creatinine ratio of 0.70 mg/mmol (interquartile range: 0.00 - 2.55 mg/mmol).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Hong Kong Chinese school children with high urine melamine levels appeared to have benign clinical course in the short term although a long term follow-up study is advisable in those with persistently high urine melamine level.</p> http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/11/354 |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Chu Winnie CW Liu Eric KH Wong Chun Chan Michael HM Ho Chung Choi Kai-Chow Kong Alice PS Chow Viola CY Lau Joseph TF Chan Juliana CN |
spellingShingle |
Chu Winnie CW Liu Eric KH Wong Chun Chan Michael HM Ho Chung Choi Kai-Chow Kong Alice PS Chow Viola CY Lau Joseph TF Chan Juliana CN Hong Kong Chinese school children with elevated urine melamine levels: A prospective follow up study BMC Public Health |
author_facet |
Chu Winnie CW Liu Eric KH Wong Chun Chan Michael HM Ho Chung Choi Kai-Chow Kong Alice PS Chow Viola CY Lau Joseph TF Chan Juliana CN |
author_sort |
Chu Winnie CW |
title |
Hong Kong Chinese school children with elevated urine melamine levels: A prospective follow up study |
title_short |
Hong Kong Chinese school children with elevated urine melamine levels: A prospective follow up study |
title_full |
Hong Kong Chinese school children with elevated urine melamine levels: A prospective follow up study |
title_fullStr |
Hong Kong Chinese school children with elevated urine melamine levels: A prospective follow up study |
title_full_unstemmed |
Hong Kong Chinese school children with elevated urine melamine levels: A prospective follow up study |
title_sort |
hong kong chinese school children with elevated urine melamine levels: a prospective follow up study |
publisher |
BMC |
series |
BMC Public Health |
issn |
1471-2458 |
publishDate |
2011-05-01 |
description |
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In 2008, the outbreak of kidney stones in children fed by melamine-tainted milk products in Mainland China has caused major public concern of food safety. We identified Hong Kong school children with elevated urine melamine level from a community-based school survey in 2007-08 and reviewed their clinical status in 2009.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In 2007-08, 2119 school children participated in a primary and secondary school survey in Hong Kong using a cluster sampling method. Urine aliquots from 502 subjects were assayed for melamine level. High urine melamine level was defined as urine melamine/creatinine ratio >7.1 μg/mmol. Subjects with high urine melamine level were invited for clinical evaluation in 2009 including urinalysis and ultrasound imaging of the urinary system.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The age range of this subcohort was 6 - 20 years with 67% girls (335 female and 167 male subjects). The spot urine melamine/creatinine ratio of the 502 urine aliquots ranged from undetectable to 1467 μg/mmol (median 0.8 μg/mmol). Of these, 213 subjects had undetectable level (42%). We invited 47 (9%) subjects with high urine melamine level for re-evaluation and one subject declined. The median duration of follow-up was 23.5 months (interquartile range: 19.8 - 30.6 months). None of the 46 subjects (28% boys, mean age 13.9 ± 2.9 years) had any abnormality detected on ultrasound study of the urinary system. All subjects had stable renal function with a median urine albumin-creatinine ratio of 0.70 mg/mmol (interquartile range: 0.00 - 2.55 mg/mmol).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Hong Kong Chinese school children with high urine melamine levels appeared to have benign clinical course in the short term although a long term follow-up study is advisable in those with persistently high urine melamine level.</p> |
url |
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/11/354 |
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