Utility of micral test strips in screening for microalbuminuria.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the clinical utility of Micral strips for detection of microalbuminuria.


METHODS
One hundred three urine samples were tested by Micral strips for the presence of microalbuminuria, and the results were compared with the immunonephelometric method.


METHODS
Endocrine diabetes clinic in a university-affiliated outpatient facility and the associated clinical laboratory.


METHODS
Sixty-seven, 24-hour urine samples were obtained from 64 patients with diabetes. Thirty-six urine samples were obtained from normal controls; 22 of these were 24-hour samples and 14 were overnight samples.


METHODS
Concordance of results obtained by the two methods for the presence or absence of microalbuminuria.


RESULTS
All 36 control subjects and 44 urine samples from diabetic patients had normal albumin excretion (<15 mg/24 h) by the immunonephelometric method. Seventy-eight of these were correctly identified as negative by Micral strips, giving a specificity of 97.5%. There were 23 samples with albumin excretion of more than 16 mg/24 h. Sixteen of these were correctly identified, giving a sensitivity of 69.5%. There were 16 samples with albumin excretion of 30 mg/24 h or more; 14 of these were correctly identified by Micral strips, and two were false negatives, giving a sensitivity of 87.7%. However, when urine samples with albumin concentrations of less than 11 mg/L were excluded, the Micral strips correctly read 21 out of 23 samples, giving a sensitivity of 91.3%.


CONCLUSIONS
The specificity of Micral strips for detection of albuminuria in 24-hour urine samples is high (97.5%), but the sensitivity is low, ranging from 69.5% to 87.7%. The sensitivity was greatly improved when urine samples with albumin concentrations of less than 11 mg/L were excluded.
Gossain
V V
VV
Department of Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824-1317, USA.
Gunaga
K P
KP
Carella
M J
MJ
Edminster
R R
RR
Bowman
K A
KA
Rovner
D R
DR
D000419:Albuminuria / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000652:urine; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000652:urine; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000652:urine; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000652:urine; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D006801:Humans; D007120:Immunochemistry / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009391:Nephelometry and Turbidimetry / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016482:Urinalysis / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data