[Urinary proteins as indicators of diabetic nephropathy]

During the last ten years, several studies proved the applicability of urinary albumin quantification in the early diagnosis of diabetic nephropathy. Owing to its high accuracy and its comparable low methodological effort, only the albumin determination was emphasised. Parallel studies of urinary protein patterns, however, using sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel-electrophoresis demonstrated the increased excretion of other high- and low-molecular mass proteins in different stages of diabetic nephropathy. Consequently an extension of the mere albumin assay including a macromolecular (e.g. transferrin) and a micromolecular (e.g. alpha-1-microglobulin) protein seems meaningful. According to this study, both methodological lines (combined quantitative and qualitative analysis, respectively) are useful tools in the early detection and the follow up of diabetic nephropathy.