URINARY β2-MICROGLOBULIN LEVEL AND URINARY N-ACETYL-β-D-GLUCOSAMINIDASE ACTIVITY IN ACUTE PYELONEPHRITIS PATIENTS
1987 Volume 78 Issue 4 Pages 649-660
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1987 Volume 78 Issue 4 Pages 649-660
The urinary β2-microglobulin (β2-MG) levels and urinary N-Acetyl-β-D-Glucosaminidase (NAG) activities were measured by radioimmunoassay and spectrophotometry methods. Fifty patients having acute pyelonephritis, 18 patients with acute cystitis, and 20 normal subjects were examined. Urine samples were obtained before treatment in all subjects, and then again on 4, 7, 10 and 14 days after the beginning of antimicrobial chemotherapy for acute pyelonephritis.
The ratio of β2-MG to urinary creatinine (β2-MG index) and the ratio of NAG to urinary creatinine (NAG index) were elevated in 48 out of 50 cases (96%) and 40 out of 50 cases (80%) in pyelonephritis patients. On the other hand, no elevation was observed in cystitis patients and normal subjects. β2-MG index and NAG index were normalized later than the improvement of fever and urinary leucocyte, but earlier than that of C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate.
Patients with pyelonephritis having an underlying disease of the urinary tract (except for VUR) showd higher levels and longer periods for normalization of clinical examination than patients without it.
Urinary β2-MG and NAG proved to be useful biochemical markers in localizing the acute urinary tract infection.
