The role of 24-hour urine protein

What is 24-hour urine protein used for? The 24-hour urine protein should be carefully collected and used for experiments. The results are probably used to measure some indicators. This is my first impression. These medical terms should not be so familiar to non-professionals. Medical content may be related to us, so let’s take a look at the role of 24-hour urine protein.

A concept

24-hour urine protein quantification refers to a urine testing method that can reflect renal function by collecting all urine excreted within 24 hours, measuring the 24-hour urine volume, and quantifying the protein in the urine.

2. Medical Value

1. Quantification of 24-hour urine protein is a reliable indicator for determining whether there is kidney disease:

Clinically, whether kidney disease occurs or not is usually determined by a comprehensive assessment of the qualitative and quantitative indicators of urine protein in a routine urine test. The qualitative indicator of urine protein is commonly referred to as whether urine protein is negative or positive. If the urine protein test result is positive, the severity of the kidney disease is reflected by the number of +'s it contains. The quantitative determination of urine protein can more accurately reflect the kidney function of the subject, and the commonly used diagnostic indicator is the 24-hour urine protein quantification.

2. An occasional 24-hour urine protein level exceeding the standard cannot be diagnosed as kidney disease:

For normal people, the quantitative range of 24-hour urine protein in routine urine testing is less than 150 mg/24 hours. If the quantitative index of 24-hour urine protein of the subject is higher than this normal reference range, it can be considered that there is renal damage.

3. Although 24-hour urine protein quantification is a reliable indicator for determining whether kidney disease has occurred, it is inaccurate to determine that the subject has kidney disease based on an abnormal result of a single 24-hour urine protein quantification test. When clinically confirming the occurrence of kidney disease, it is usually necessary to repeat the routine urine test. Through regular examinations, if the patient's urine routine test results show that the 24-hour urine protein quantitative index is higher than the normal reference range three or more times, it can be determined that the patient has indeed developed kidney disease.

Three negative impacts

Urine protein participates in the process of kidney disease as an independent factor and can also damage the kidneys. It is manifested in the following aspects:

1. Urinary protein has a toxic effect on glomerular mesangial cells. After patients enter renal failure, a large amount of plasma protein will be deposited in the glomerular mesangial area. The deposition of these macromolecular substances in the mesangial area can cause mesangial cell damage, mesangial cell proliferation and increased mesangial matrix production, thus leading to glomerular sclerosis;

2. Urinary protein can damage the tubular interstitium. A small amount of small molecular protein filtered by normal glomeruli is reabsorbed by epithelial cells close to the tubules and decomposed in lysosomes. Under pathological conditions, the increased permeability of the glomerulus causes a large amount of plasma protein to leak into the renal tubular lumen, while the excessive reabsorption of albumin by the proximal tubular epithelial cells leads to increased lysosomal activity in the cytoplasm, which can cause cell damage.

3. Large amounts of proteinuria increase the reabsorption of protein by the renal tubules, which promotes the increase in ammonia production. The production of ammonia in renal tissue also plays a certain role in progressive interstitial lesions. In addition, reabsorption and digestion of large amounts of protein require additional energy, which can cause hypoxia of the tubular cells and increase the production of oxygen free radicals, causing tubular cell damage.

After reading the above content, you will have some understanding of the role of 24-hour urine protein and its relationship with the kidneys. This indicator measurement can test the health of the kidneys. In essence, it reflects the changes in the kidneys, so everyone must protect their kidneys to avoid future diseases. The kidneys are very important for good health. We should learn to prevent diseases and protect our health.