Does the urinary excretion of alpha1-microglobulin and albumin predict clinical disease activity in ulcerative colitis?
BACKGROUND
There remains some difficulty in determining disease activity during the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The excretion levels of some inflammatory response molecules increase as a result of the onset of this disease. We studied urinary alfa-1-microglobulin (alpha1-MG) and albumin levels in patients with active and inactive ulcerative colitis (UC) and investigated whether we could use these parameters as an activity index.


METHODS
The study was carried out at Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Nephrology and Gastroenterology Departments, between December 2003 and March 2006. In total, 35 patients (male/female: 16/19, mean age: 38.3+/-2.4 years) and 13 healthy controls (male/female: 6/7, mean age: 35.8+/-2.8 years) were enrolled in the study. Nineteen patients had symptoms of active disease and the remaining 16 patients had inactive disease.


RESULTS
There was a significant difference in serum C-reactive protein (CRP), urinary albumin excretion, and alpha1-MG excretion levels between patients and controls. Patients with active disease had significantly higher serum CRP and alpha1-MG levels than those with inactive disease and controls. Patients with active disease had higher microalbuminuria levels than inactive patients, but this difference was not statistically significant. Urinary albumin and alpha1-MG excretion did not correlate with serum CRP levels.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study suggests that, as with CRP, urinary levels of albumin and alpha1-MG increase during the active period of UC. During the inactive period, concentrations of these parameters are comparable to controls. The measurement of alpha1-MG and/or microalbuminuria could provide information on disease severity and response to treatment.
Derici
Ulver
U
Nephrology Department, Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Besevler, Ankara, Turkey.
Tuncer
Candan
C
Ebinç
Fatma Ayerden
FA
Mutluay
Ruya
R
Yakaryilmaz
Fahri
F
Kulaksizoglu
Sevsen
S
Soylemezoglu
Oguz
O
Sindel
Sukru
S
D000328:Adult; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000652:urine*; D000510:Alpha-Globulins / Q000652:urine*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
D000510:Alpha-Globulins; D015415:Biomarkers; C016001:alpha-1-microglobulin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein