The 24-Hour Excretion of Plasma Proteins in the Urine of Apparently Healthy Subjects

Abstract

In 239 apparently healthy subjects the 24-h urinary excretion of albumin, transferrin, haptoglobin, IgM, IgG, IgA, immunoglobulin-free lambda and kappa light chains, lysozyme, and beta-2-microglobulin was studied by means of an automated immunoprecipitin reaction. The 24-h excretion of the proteins showed a very uneven distribution. Albumin was excreted in the largest quantities, 1.6–34.2 mg/24 h (0.95 range), and beta-2-microglobulin in the smallest quantities, 0–0.14 mg/24 h (0.95 range). Seven of 10 proteins were excreted in significantly lower quantities in children than in adults.

Key Words:

• Immunoprecipitin reaction
• automated
• nephelometry
• physiological variations
• proteins
• specific
• renal clearances
• apparent
• selectivity index