Urinary excretion of ten plasma proteins in patients with extrarenal epithelial carcinoma

Urinary and serum proteins were studied in 55 patients with extrarenal epithelial carcinoma, using an automated immunopreciptin reaction. The 24 h excretion and renal clearance of 6 high molecular weight proteins: albumin, transferrin, haptoglobin, IgG, IgA, and IgM were significantly increased compared with a control group, implying a glomerular injury. The 24 h excretion of 4 low molecular weight proteins: free lambda and kappa light chains of immunoglobulin, lysozyme, and beta2-microglobulin was significantly increased in patients with disseminated carcinoma compared with patients with localized carcinoma. The serum concentrations of albumin and transferrin were significantly decreased and the serum concentration of haptoglobin significantly increased in patients with disseminated carcinoma compared with patients with localized tumours.