URINARY MUCOPROTEINS

3rd Report: Correlation between Urinary Mucoproteins and Urokinase Activity

Abstract

Urinary mucoproteins and urokinase activity in the diseases of the kidney and the urinary tract were estimated and correlation of them was investigated. Estimation of urinary mucoproteins and of urokinase actiity were performed with absorption on benzoic acid (Anderson & Maclagan, 1955) and with fibrin plate method (units: mm²; Astrup, 1952) respectively.
1) Urokinase activity estimated by fibrin plate method was demonstrated to have close correlation with the urinary osmorality.
2) Mean estimated value of urokinase activity in the urine of normal subject was 280±90mm². But, considering wide variation in normal controls, normal range was set to be 100-450mm².
3) In most cases of urolithiasis, urokinase activity remained within normal range, and the patho genetic relation of increased uriney mucoproteins and decreased urokinase activity excretion in the formation of urinary stones which has been proposed by some authors, could not be ascertained.
4) In a half of cases of essential hematuria, urokinase activity was elevated, indicating a possible relationship with renal bleeding.
5) In cases of renal failure, hydronephrosis and polycystic kidney with impaired functions, significant decrease of urokinase activity were demonstrated. Whereas in the cases of renal failure significantly elevated excretion of urinary mucoproteins was demonstrated, in the cases of hydronephrosis and polycystic kidney the excretion of urinary mucoproteins remained writhin the normal range.
6) In cases of injury of the kidney, significant elevation of urokinase activity and excretion of urinary mucoproteins were demonstrated.
7) When the renal function were more or less impaired, rapid and manifest decrease of urokinase activity was induced by administration of transamine. This provocative test with transamine was thought to be a very simple and useful diagnostic method for detection of latent impairment of the renal function.