title: The use of semi-quantitative urine test-strip (Micral Test) for microalbuminuria screening in patients with diabetes mellitus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Microalbuminuria is an early marker of prognostic significance in diabetic renal disease. However, testing for microalbuminuria in a timed sample of urine using the double antibody radioimmunoassay (RIA) method is cumbersome and requires special laboratory facilities. Recently, a test strip for microalbuminuria, the Micral Test was available and we evaluated the performance of this test strip as a screening method for detection of microalbuminuria.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred consecutive diabetic patients who were tested to be dipstick-negative (Albustix) for proteinuria were enrolled for the study. Micral Tests were performed on a paired first morning and random urine specimen from the same patient and the results compared with a timed 24-hour urine measurement of urine albumin excretion using the RIA method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighteen specimens were tested positive by the RIA method with a urinary albumin range of 32-177 mg/24 hours. With the Micral Test, the following sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were obtained: 66.7%. 97.6%, 85.7% and 93.0% for the first morning urine specimens, and 77.8%, 91.5%, 66.7% and 94.9% for the random urine specimens.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that Micral Test with either the first morning or random urine specimen offers a simple, reliable, rapid and convenient method for screening of microalbuminuria in the diabetic patient.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, National University Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: S O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Leong
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Lui
authors.forename: W Y
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Thai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000652:urine*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000652:urine*; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000652:urine; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000652:urine; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D011934:Reagent Strips; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D011934:Reagent Strips