Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32127811›Full record

ArticleAfrican health sciences2019

Comparison between plasma neopterin and the urine neopterin:creatinine ratio as inflammatory biomarkers.

Bianca Thomas, Priyesh Bipath, Margaretha Viljoen

Open access · diamondAbstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in African health sciences, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
0.5field-weighted citation impact, top 35% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

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  5. Editorial.African health sciences · 2019
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Bianca ThomasDepartment of Human Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, South Africa.
Priyesh BipathDepartment of Physiology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
Margaretha ViljoenDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
University of Pretoria · ZAUniversity of Johannesburg · ZA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNeopterin, a product of cell-mediated immunity, is a non-specific biomarker of inflammation. Plasma/serum is generally the body fluid of choice for neopterin assessment, but urine is often used as it does away with venepuncture. Analysis of urine neopterin is based on collection of a single urine sample and expressed as µmol neopterin/mol creatinine.

objectivesTo examine published correlations between plasma neopterin levels and urine neopterin:creatinine ratios and to determine whether they are in diagnostic agreement.

methodsLiterature search was performed by databases and by hand. Databases included Academic Search Complete; Africa-Wide Information; AHFS Consumer Medication Information; eBook Collection (EBSCOhost); Family & Society Studies Worldwide; MasterFILE Premier; MEDLINE; TOC Premier.

resultsPositive correlations of varying statistical significance generally exist between plasma neopterin and urine neopterin: creatinine ratios. With a decline in renal clearance, plasma neopterin over-estimates inflammatory activity. With immune-complex renal disease, urine neopterin:creatinine ratios over-estimate systemic inflammation. The two biomarkers can differ in diagnostic validity.

conclusionCorrelations between plasma neopterin and urine neopterin:creatinine ratios suggest both as suitable biomarkers. However, since correlations reflect equality of means and not individual values, significant correlations, do not necessarily imply diagnostic agreement. Therefore, plasma and urine cannot summarily be assumed interchangeable for diagnostic/prognostic purposes.

Indexed as

AfricaBiomarkersCreatinineDatabases, FactualHumansInflammationNeopterinPrognosisBiomarkersCreatinineNeopterinbiomarkerscreatinineinflammationNeopterinrenal

Identifiers

PMID32127811
PMCPMC7040280
OpenAlexW2984445305

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.