URINARY MUCOPROTEINS
2nd Report: Clinical Investigation in the Diseases of the Kidney and Urinary Tract
1972 Volume 63 Issue 4 Pages 241-247
Details
1972 Volume 63 Issue 4 Pages 241-247
Estimation of urinary mucoproteins was performed with the method of Anderson & Maclagan (a method of absorption on benzoic acid) in cases of various diseases of the kidney and the urinary tract.
1) The estimation with this method is not disturbed by the existence of albumin, sugar, bacteia and red blood cell in the urine, but is demonstrated to have close correlation with the urinary osmorality.
2) Mean values of urinary mucoproteins in normal subjects are as follows: male adult-10±4mg/100ml; female adult-9±4mg/100ml; infant and child-8±3mg/100ml. The upper limit of normal range can be set at 20mg/100ml, because no case shows a value over this limit.
3) In cases of acute and chronic renal failure, nephrotic syndrome, pregnacy toxemia, and injury of the kidney, significantly elevated excretion of urinary mucoproteins are almost invariably demonstrated.
4) Two cases under treatment with mitomycin or kanamycin, and also two cases which were administered X-ray contrast media for intravenous pyelography showed significantly increased excretion. It indicates that the increased excretion of urinary mucoproteins may be a manifestation of toxic nephropathy probably due to these medications.
5) In the half cases after various urological operations for urogenital diseases, slight and transitory increase of urinary mucoproteins is observed. In urolithiasis some cases shows slight elevation over the upper limit of the normal range, but the pathogenetic relation of increased urinary mucoproteins excretion with the formation of urinary stones can not definitely be ascertained.
6) In all cases of orthostatic or benign albuminuria and essential hematuria, the excretion of urinary mucoproteins remains always under the upper limit of the normal range.
7) It is strongly suggested that elevated excretion of urinary mucoproteins has close correlation with tubular dysfunction of the kidney, and increased urinary mucoproteins in the urine has pathognomonlc significance in disturbed tubular function different from urinary albumin. Therefore the estimation of mucoproteins is thought to be a very useful diagnostic tool for detection of toxic nephropathy and determination whether substances such as drugs and heavy metals are nephrotoxic or not.
