title: Urinary protein patterns in patients with Balkan endemic nephropathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Urinary excretion of beta2-microglobulin (beta2-MG), albumin, immunoglobulin G (IgG) and protein was examined in patients with Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN), glomerulonephritis (GN) and healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  The proteins were measured in morning urine samples from 74 patients with BEN, 50 healthy persons and 22 patients with GN.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In BEN patients, median values for albumin, beta2-MG and protein were above upper normal limits, but median IgG was inside normal range. All patients with GN had microalbuminuria (MAU) and half of them had increased urinary beta2-MG, which was also found in eleven patients with increased urinary IgG. In BEN patients, there were significant negative correlations between eGFR and all measured urinary proteins, the composition of which changed during the course of BEN. In patients with eGFR > 60 ml/min/1.73 m(2) isolated beta2-MG was the most frequent finding (10/12 patients), but MAU was present in 4/12 patients. In BEN patients with eGFR between 30 and 59 ml/min/1.73 m(2), beta2-MG appeared as often as the combination of beta2-MG and albumin and isolated MAU. Out of 49 BEN patients with eGFR > 30 ml/min/1.73 m(2) 15 had increased urinary IgG either alone (1) or together with beta2-MG (3) or albumin (3) or beta2-MG and albumin (8). In BEN patients with GFR < 30 ml/min/1.73 m(2) only 1/25 had isolated beta2-MG but increased urinary IgG with increased beta2-MG, and albumin was the most frequent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although low-molecular weight proteinuria was the most frequent urinary finding in BEN patients, MAU was frequently detected in advanced stages of BEN but also in some patients with eGFR > 60 ml/min/1.73 m(2). IgG was increasingly found as eGFR decreased.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotića 8, 11 000, Belgrade, Serbia, ljubicadjukanovic@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Ljubica
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Djukanović
authors.forename: Vidosava
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Djordjević
authors.forename: Višnja
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ležaić
authors.forename: Rade
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cukuranović
authors.forename: Ivko
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marić
authors.forename: Danica
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bukvić
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marinković
authors.forename: Jovana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cukuranović
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rajić
authors.forename: Vladisav
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Stefanović
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000209:etiology / Q000652:urine*; D001449:Balkan Nephropathy / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000652:urine*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000150:complications / Q000652:urine*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000652:urine*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000652:urine*
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin