Evaluation of inflammatory and renal-injury markers in women treated with antibiotics for acute pyelonephritis caused by Escherichia coli.

The evolution and the relationship between inflammatory and renal-injury markers in women with acute uncomplicated pyelonephritis under antimicrobial therapy were investigated in a prospective study. Markers were measured before and 6 and 24 h after the intravenous administration of 1 g of ceftriaxone. Before treatment, the median levels of all markers except the serum creatinine levels were high. Twenty-four hours after the onset of antibiotic treatment, the C-reactive protein (CRP) level continued to be high, while the serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels and the urine IL-6, IL-8, albumin, and immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels decreased significantly. In contrast, serum creatinine and tumor necrosis factor alpha levels and urine N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase, α1-microglobulin, and β2-microglobulin levels did not change over time. There was a significant correlation between IL-6 and IL-8 levels and urine albumin and IgG levels (urine albumin and IgG levels are glomerular and urinary tract-injury markers) as well as between serum CRP levels and the levels of the tubular-injury markers. In women with acute pyelonephritis, appropriate antibiotic treatment rapidly decreases serum IL-6 levels and urine IL-6 and IL-8 levels, which correlate well with urine albumin and IgG levels.