Urinary Excretion of Ten Plasma Proteins in Patients with Febrile Diseases

Abstract

The 24 h urinary excretion of albumin, transferrin, haptoglobin, Ig[immunoglobulin]G, IgA, IgM, free .lambda. and .kappa. L chains from Ig, lysozyme and .beta.2-macroglobulin was investigated in 22 patients with febrile diseases, using an automated immunoprecipitin reaction. The average excretion of the 10 proteins was significantly increased in the patients compared with a control group. In patients with body temperature .gtoreq. 38.5.degree. C, the tubular type of proteinuria was significantly increased compared with those with body temperature < 38.5.degree. C. Sequential studies in 10 patients showed that the tubular type of proteinuria occurred in all, whereas the glomerular type was demonstrated in 8. When the fever had subsided, the tubular proteinuria disappeared rapidly in all patients, while the glomerular proteinuria disappeared in only 4 out of 8. Tubular proteinuria was caused by fever per se. Glomerular proteinuria might be due to an immune response to antigens, derived from the infectious agents, producing a transient or permanent glomerular injury.