Urinary albumin measurement is a more sensitive indicator than urinary total protein for the early detection of renal involvement in chronic diseases and is easier to standardize.
Is urinary albumin a more sensitive indicator than urinary total protein for detecting early renal involvement in chronic diseases?
Urinary albumin is a more sensitive biomarker than urinary total protein for the early detection and monitoring of renal involvement in chronic diseases.
A literature review and our own data are presented to demonstrate that urinary albumin (UA) excretion increases in many renal disorders and that it offers a far more sensitive indicator than the commonly used urinary total protein (UTP) for the early detection of renal involvement in many chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and systemic lupus erythematosus. In many individuals with these disorders, UA increases severalfold, even while UTP remains within the reference interval. UA is also more suited than UTP for following therapeutic responses in these slowly progressive renal disorders. Increases in UA are associated with increased mortality. UTP measurements are plagued with many analytical problems, whereas UA is much easier to standardize. We recommend that both UA and UTP be measured when quantitative urine protein assays are ordered, especially when the UTP is less than 300 mg/g of creatinine.
Shihabi et al. (Wed,) conducted a review in Chronic renal disorders. Urinary albumin (UA) measurement vs. Urinary total protein (UTP) measurement was evaluated on Early detection of renal involvement. Urinary albumin measurement is a more sensitive indicator than urinary total protein for the early detection of renal involvement in chronic diseases and is easier to standardize.
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