Serum Levels and Urinary Excretion of β2Microglobulin in Patients Under Haemodialysis or After Renal Transplantation

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Summary Serum and urine β2m levels were determined in 63 haemodialyzed patients and sequentially in 76 recipients of a renal allograft. Elevated stable serum β2 levels were observed under haemodialysis (12.5 to 92 mg/1). Patients with residual diuresis were shown to excrete high amounts of β2m (up to 150 mg/24 hrs) and to have lower serum levels than anuric patients. Stable serum levels in anephric patients indicate a marked reduction of β2m biosynthesis or an extrarenal catabolism of β2m in such cases. After transplantation, variations of serum β2, usually paralleled that of serum creatinine, except in two circumstances : 1/ in patients with initial oliguric renal insufficiency, a decrease of serum km indicates the viability of the transplant whereas a raise of serum β2m may represent the only sign of a rejection episode; 2/ in patients with bacterial, fungal or viral infections serum β2m may increase without changes of serum creatinine. Sequential determinations of urinary β2m may reveal peaks of excretion (> 10 [kg/min) corresponding to acute proximal defects by immunological damage of the transplant. Such peaks can occur prior to or associated with typical rejection crises, or independently from them.