Routine Testing May Underestimate Albumin in Urine

A study has found that conventional urine testing may severely underestimate the amount of albumin, a protein recognized as the earliest evidence of kidney and cardiovascular disease when found in above-normal limits. The study was published in the February 2003 issue of the American Journal of Kidney Diseases.

The authors found that at least 33% of the patients considered normal by conventional testing had above-normal readings of albumin when measured using a high performance urinary albumin test. This test "unambiguously provides an assessment of the gold standard” when measuring for intact albumin in urine, they state.

The researchers caution that repeated measurements of urinary albumin over time would be necessary to ascertain whether or not a disease was present. Conventional testing "may provide a relatively late diagnosis of incipient kidney disease.” The American Diabetes Association has recommended that all people at risk for kidney disease be screened for albumin in urine annually.

The study was conducted at Monash University and the Austin & Repatriation Medical Center, University of Melbourne (both in Melbourne, Australia).

The researchers compared 97 urine samples from diabetic patients and 86 control urine samples from nondiabetic patients.




Related Links:
University of Melbourne