
Protein Testing, Urine
Fasting Required: No
Specimen: Urine
Special Instructions: Urine jug to be picked up at lab.
Results: 2-3 Business Days
Description: Normal urine protein consists of albumin (=35 mg/24 hours), other plasma proteins (ie, globulins, haptoglobin, beta2 microglobulin, and light chain). Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein secreted by renal tubular cells may contribute =50 mg/24 hours. Urinary protein in normals tends to increase with age, exercise, and standing posture.
Methodology:
Colorimetric (C) • Spectrophotometry (SP)
Reference Range(s):
<150 mg/24 h
Clinical Significance:
Proteinuria, mainly glomerular, is often a manifestation of primary renal disease although transient proteinuria may occur with fevers, thyroid disorders, and in heart disease. In the absence of renal disease, the degree of proteinuria is slight, usually amounting to less than 2 grams per day. In chronic glomerulonephritis and in the nephrotic syndrome including lipoid nephrosis and in some forms of hypertensive vascular disease, protein loss may vary from a few grams to as much as 30 g/day.