The urinary excretion of ten plasma proteins in long-term renal transplant patients

Using an automated immunoprecipitin reaction, the urinary excretion of albumin, transferrin, haptoglobin, IgM, IgG, IgA, free lambda and kappa light chains from immunoglobulin, lysozyme and beta2-microglobulin has been investigated in 40 long-term bilaterally nephrectomized renal transplant patients. The excretion of the proteins, except lysozyme, was significantly increased in 21 of the paitents with Albustix-negative urine. In patients with glomerulonephritis prior to the transplantation, the excretion of albumin, transferrin, and IgG was significantly increased compared with the other patients. The IgM excretion was significantly increased in patients who had received C and D matches compared with those with A and B matches. Patients with severe surgical complications in the postoperative period had a tubular proteinuria, and in patients surviving more than 60 months after transplantation the excretion of several proteins was significantly increased compared with patients surviving less than 60 months.