Human α1-Microglobulin and Its Relationship to Renal Function

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
To evaluate the clinical usefulness in terms of estimation for glomerular filtration rate (GFR), we determined the levels of α1-microglobulin (α1m) in the serum and urine of patients with various renal diseases and compared with those of β2-microglobulin (β2m) and creatinine. Serum and urinary α1m levels were measured by using single-radial immunodiffusion method. 24-hour creatinine clearance (Ccr) was used as a indicator of GFR. There was a significant positive correlation between serum α1m and creatinine levels (r = 0.75, p < 0.001). Serum α1m, β2m and creatinine inversely correlated and logarithmically correlated to Ccr as shown in the following equations: log α1m = 2.30 – 0.42 × log Ccr (r = – 0.74); log β2m = 2.06 – 0.91 × log Ccr (r = – 0.92); log creatinine = 1.57 – 0.78 × log Ccr (r = – 0.94). Both correlation coefficient and regression coefficient for α, m were rather poor compared to those for β2m and creatinine. However, α1m levels started to increase over normal range when Ccr fell below 80 liters/day, while β2m and creatinine remained within normal ranges.The daily urinary excretion of α1m was increased in the patients whose Ccr was within normal limits compared to that of healthy control subjects (15.2 ± 3.2 mg/day, n = 19, vs. 5.7 ± 0.7, n = 7, p < 0.001). Fractional clearance of α1m increased proportionally to the decrease of Ccr. These data suggest that combined measurements of α1m in the serum and urine seem to be useful to estimate GFR, especially to detect the mild reduction of CFR.

This publication has 6 references indexed in Scilit: