Authors: Niederstadt, C¹; Happ, T; Tatsis, E²; Schnabel, A²; Steinhoff, J

Source: Rheumatology, Volume 38, Number 1, January 1999 , pp. 28-33(6)

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Abstract:

Objective: We examined the prevalence of nephropathy in unselected patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by measurement of marker proteins for glomerular and tubular damage in urine.

Methods: A highly sensitive immunoluminometric assay was used to measure albumin, immunoglobulin G and 1-microglobulin in 24 h urines of 44 RA patients and a control group of 46 patients with generalized osteoarthritis (OA).

Results: Fifty-five per cent of RA patients were found to have proteinuria as a symptom of renal disease. Drug therapy or vasculitis were identified as possible reasons for proteinuria in only 25% of these patients; in most patients (75%), no reason for proteinuria was found. Tubular and mixed proteinuria were more frequent than glomerular proteinuria. Only 15% of the control group exhibited mild proteinuria, which was attributable to nephrotoxic factors. The renal function of RA patients and the control group did not differ significantly.

Conclusions: Proteinuria is a frequent symptom of nephropathy in RA. Screening for renal disease in RA should not only include creatinine measurement and dipstick examination of urine, but also more sensitive methods to detect tubular and glomerular proteinuria as a marker of tubular and early stages of glomerular damage.

Key words: Rheumatoid arthritis, Proteinuria, Albuminuria, 1-Microglobulin, Nephropathy, Amyloidosis, Rheumatoid vasculitis, Immunoluminometric assay.

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: Corresponding author at: Medizinische Universitat zu Lubeck, Medizinische Klinik I, Nephrologie, Ratzeburger Allee 160 , 23538 Lubeck, Germany 2: Department of Rheumatology, Medical University Hospital, Lubeck, Germany

Publication date: 1999-01-01

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