Relationship between urinary fibrinogen degradation products and various types of chronic nephritis

The concentration of urinary fibrin(ogen) degradation products (FDP) was determined by using enzyme immunoassay and radio immunoassay, and their urinary levels were compared with histologically classified types of glomerulonephritis. Urinary FDP levels were higher in the severe type of proliferative glomerulonephritis and at the active phase of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). They were also high in the membranous glomerulonephritis. Molecular weight of urinary FDP of a patient with severe proliferative glomerulonephritis was determined to be 150,000 and 68,000, respectively after gel filtration. Urinary FDP levels were higher in patients with glomerular fibrin deposit than in patients without fibrin deposit or normal volunteers. The amounts of excreted protein in urine was not related to the amounts of FDP. Decrease in the reciprocal of serum creatinine levels resulted in high urinary FDP levels, indicating that high urinary FDP levels may represent deterioration of renal function.