Noninvasive diagnosis of tubular damage by the use of the urinary chondroitin-4-sulfate/heparan sulfate ratio.
20 healthy children, 20 children with tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN) and 20 children with glomerulonephritis in the active state were examined. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of urinary proteins, beta-2-microglobulin excretion and acid glycosaminoglycan electrophoresis were performed. Polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis showed in all the cases with TIN low molecular weight proteinuria, no bands were observed in healthy children and in all the cases of glomerulonephritis high molecular weight proteinuria. Beta-2-microglobulin determination showed no differences between healthy children and children with glomerulonephritis, but showed high levels in the group of children with TIN. Acid glycosaminoglycan electrophoresis showed in the group of children with healthy children a mean chondroitin-4-sulfate-/heparan sulfate ratio (CS/HS) of 3.8 +/- 0.4. Children with TIN presented a low ratio of 1.5 +/- 0.5. Patients with glomerulonephritis showed a mean ratio of 3.7 +/- 0.3. Our results clearly show that tubular damage can be revealed by a low quotient of chondroitin-4-sulfate to heparan sulfate.
D002648:Child; D002807:Chondroitin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates / Q000652:urine*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000652:urine*; D006497:Heparan Sulfate / Q000652:urine*; D006801:Humans; D009395:Nephritis, Interstitial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000652:urine; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000652:urine
D002807:Chondroitin; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans; D006497:Heparan Sulfate; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin