Urinary cylinders: what pediatrician and nephrologist need to know

Clinical urine test with the correct interpretation can help the clinician in the diagnosis of the urinary system diseases, as well as other organs and systems. Most laboratories in medical institutions are currently switching to an automated urinary sediment test, but microscopy appears relevant. Unfortunately, clinicians often interpret only three or four (most often proteinuria, leukocyturia and erythrocyturia) of all the numerous indicators of urine test, unfairly ignoring the others. The urinary cylinders are one of these important elements of the urinary sediment. The article presents the characteristics of the main types of urinary cylinders, their origin, composition, morphology and clinical significance.

1. Caleffi A., Lippi G. Cylindruria. Clin Chem Lab Med. 2015 Nov;53(Suppl 2):s1471-7.

2. McQueen E.G. Composition of urinary casts. Lancet. 1966;1:397–8.

3. Serafini-Cessi F., Malagolini N., Cavallone D. Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein: biology and clinical relevance. Am J Kidney Dis. 2003;42:658–76.

4. Devuyst O., Dahan K., Pirson Y. Tamm-Horsfall protein or uromodulin: new ideas about an old molecule. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2005;20:1290–4.

5. Brunati M., Perucca S., Han L. et al. The serine protease hepsin mediates urinary secretion and polymerisation of Zona Pellucida domain protein uromodulin. Elife. 2015;4:e08887.

6. Vyletal P., Bleyer A.J., Kmoch S. Uromodulin Biology and Pathophysiology – An Update. Kidney Blood Press Res. 2010;33:456–475.

7. Manoni F., Gessoni G., Alessio M.G., Caleffi A., Saccani G., Silvestri M.G. et al. Mid-stream vs. first-voided urine collection by using automated analyzers for particle examination in healthy subjects: an Italian multicenter study. Clin Chem Lab Med. 2011;50:679–84.

8. Manoni F., Gessoni G., Alessio M.G., Caleffi A., Saccani G., Epifani M.G. et al. Gender’s equality in evaluation of urine particles: results of a multicenter study of the Italian Urinalysis Group. Clin Chim Acta. 2014;427:1–5.

9. Manoni F., Gessoni G., Caleffi A., Alessio M.G., Rosso R., Menozzi P. et al. Pediatric reference values for urine particle quantification by using automated flow cytometer: results of a multicenter study of Italian urinalysis group. Clin Biochem. 2013;46: 1820–4.

10. Fogazzi G.B. The urinary sediment. An integrated view, 3rd ed. Milan: Masson Elsevier, 2010.

11. Manoni F., Valverde S., Caleffi A., Alessio M.G., Silvestri M.G., De Rosa R. et al. Stability of common analytes and urine par-ticles stored at room temperature before automated analysis. RIMeL – IJLaM. 2008;4:192–8.

12. European Confederation of Laboratory Medicine. European urinalysis guidelines. Scand J Clin Lab Invest Suppl. 2000;231: 1–86.

13. Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institute (ex NCCLS). GP16-A3-Urinalysis; approved guideline, 3rd ed. Wayne, PA: CLSI, 2009.

14. Cavanaugh C., Perazella M.A. Urine Sediment Examination in the Diagnosis and Management of Kidney Disease: Core Curriculum 2019. Am J Kidney Dis. 2019;73(2):258-272.

15. Fogazzi G.B., Saglimbeni L., Banfi G., Cantu M., Moroni G., Garigali G. et al. Urinary sediment features in proliferative and nonproliferative glomerular diseases. J Nephrol. 2005;18:703–10.

16. Fogazzi G.B., Ferrari B., Garigali G., Simonini P., Consonni D. Urinary sediment findings in acute interstitial nephritis. Am J Kidney Dis. 2012;60:330–2.

17. Chu-Su Y., Shukuya K., Yokoyama T., Lin W.C., Chiang C.K., Lin C.W. Enhancing the Detection of Dysmorphic Red Blood Cells and Renal Tubular Epithelial Cells with a Modified Urinalysis Protocol. Sci Rep. 2017;7:40521.

18. Chawla L.S., Dommu A., Berger Shih S., Patel S.S. Urinary sediment cast scoring index for acute kidney injury: a pilot study. Nephron Clin Pract. 2008;110:145–50.

19. Perazella M.A., Coca S.G., Kanbay M., Brewster U.C., Parikh C.R. Diagnostic value of urine microscopy for differential diagnosis of acute kidney injury in hospitalized patients. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2008;3:1615–9.

20. Perazella M.A., Coca S.G., Hall I.E., Iyanam U., Koraishy M., Parikh C.R. Urine microscopy is associated with severity and worsening of acute kidney injury in hospitalized patients. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2010;5:402–8.

21. Mohsenin V. Practical approach to detection and management of acute kidney injury in critically ill patient. J Intensive Care. 2017;5:57.

22. Spinelli D., Consonni D., Garigali G., Fogazzi G.B. Waxy casts in the urinary sediment of patients with different types of glomerular diseases: results of a prospective study. Clin Chim Acta. 2013;424:47–52.

23. Mohapatra M.K., Behera A.K., Karua P.C. et al. Urinary bile casts in bile cast nephropathy secondary to severe falciparum malaria. Clin Kidney J. 2016;9(4):644–648.