Chemical Analysis of

Urine - Protein

Ms. Nishadi Sewwandika Jayasinghe

 Proteinuria
• Indicate early renal disease

• Normal urine - < 10 mg/dl

• “low molecular weight serum protein”
• Filtered by the glomerulus
• Protein produced in genitourinary tract
• “Albumin” – present in high concentration in the plasma

• However albumin content is low

• Majority not filtered
• Reabsorbed by the tubules

• Other proteins
• Serum and tubular microglobins
• Tamm-Horsefall protein
• Protein from prostatic, seminal and vaginal secretions

• Clinical proteinuria indicate >30mg/dl

Causes
1. Pre-renal proteinuria

2. Renal proteinuria

3. Pos-trenal proteinuria
 Pre-renal Proteinuria
• Prior to reaching kidney
• Caused by increased levels of
• Hb,Mb
• Acute phase reactant
• “Bence Jones Protein”
 Renal Proteinuria
• True renal disese

Types
• Glomerular proteinuria
• Tubular proteinuria
• Orthostatic proteinuria
• Microalbuminuria
Glomerular proteinuria
• Caused,
• Presence of abnormal substances
• Amyloid material
• Toxic substances
• immune complexes
Tubular proteinuria
• Affect tubular reabsorption
• Absorption affected
• Causes
• Exposure to toxic substance
• Sever viral infections
• Fanconi syndrome
Orthostatic proteinuria
• Persistent benign proteinuria proteinuria occur in
young adults
• Prolong vertical position
Microalbuminuria
• Diabetic nephropathy
• Reduced glomerular filtration
• Renal failure
• Renal complication
• First predict
• Increased risk of cardiovascular disease
• Required collection a 24hr urine specimen
• Significant 30-300mg/24hr
 Post renal proteinuria
• Proteins added to urine specimen as it pass trough
the structures of the lower urinary tract
Ureters, bladder, urethra, prostate, vagina
• Bacterial and fungal infections and inflammations
produce exudates contain protein from interstitial
fluid
• Presence of prostatic fluid and large amount of
spermatozoa