[Urinary excretion of Tamm-Horsfall protein by patients with acute renal failure]

Urinary excretion of Tamm-Horsfall protein (THP), sodium and potassium was assessed in 12 patients 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, and 22 days after the onset of acute renal failure (ARF) and in 23 control subjects. In patients with ARF at the oliguric phase urinary excretion was significantly reduced but significantly increased (when compared with controls) at the onset of the polyuric phase. In contrast to healthy subjects in patients with ARF no significant correlation was found between urine volume and urinary excretion of THP. Normalization of THP excretion was noticed prior to normalization of serum creatinine level. Results obtained in this study prove absence of the physiological relationship between urinary excretion of THP and urine volume in patients with ARF.