Measurement of urinary TGF-β1 in patients with diabetes mellitus and normal controls.

Objective: Increasing evidence links TGF-β1 to progression of renal fibrosis including its association with diabetic nephropathy (DN). Current ELISA assays are not sensitive enough to measure TGF-β1 in the urine of many clinically healthy individuals, even those with established renal disease. The objective of this study was to validate a sensitive urinary assay for TGF-β1 and compare levels between healthy controls and patients with established DN.

Low- and high-molecular-weight urinary proteins as predictors of response to rituximab in patients with membranous nephropathy: a prospective study.

Background: Selective urinary biomarkers have been considered superior to total proteinuria in predicting response to treatment and outcome in patients with membranous nephropathy (MN).

Methods: We prospectively tested whether urinary (U) excretion of retinol-binding protein (RBP), α1-microglobulin (α1M), albumin, immunoglobulin IgG and IgM and/or anti-phospholipase 2 receptor (PLA(2)R) levels could predict response to rituximab (RTX) therapy better than standard measures in MN. We also correlated changes in antibodies to PLA(2)R with these urinary biomarkers.

Urinalysis is more specific and urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin is more sensitive for early detection of acute kidney injury.

Background: Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) protein is a promising biomarker to detect acute kidney injury (AKI). Earlier detection of AKI could facilitate evaluation of novel therapeutic strategies.

Methods: Random and 24-h urine samples were prospectively obtained from 125 normal volunteers for analytic validation of a urinary enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for NGAL.

Comparison of urinary albumin quantification by immunoturbidimetry, competitive immunoassay, and protein-cleavage liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Background: Increased urinary albumin excretion is a well-documented diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for renal disease. Urinary albumin is typically measured in clinical settings by immunoassay methods. However, neither a reference method nor a urine albumin calibration reference material is currently available.

Comparison between immunoturbidimetry, size-exclusion chromatography, and LC-MS to quantify urinary albumin.

Background: The accurate and precise measurement of urinary albumin is critical, since even minor increases are diagnostically sensitive indicators of renal disease, cardiovascular events, and risk for death. To gain insights into potential measurement biases, we systematically compared urine albumin measurements performed by LC-MS, a clinically available immunoturbidimetric assay, and size-exclusion HPLC.

Methods: We obtained unused clinical urine samples from 150 patients who were stratified by degrees of albuminuria (<20 mg/L, 20-250 mg/L, >250 mg/L) as determined by the immunoturbidimetric assay used in our clinical laboratory (Roche Hitachi 912).

The effects of aerobic exercise on glucose and counterregulatory hormone concentrations in children with type 1 diabetes.

Objective: To examine the acute glucose-lowering effects of aerobic exercise in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

Research Design And Methods: Fifty children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (ages 10 to <18 years) were studied during exercise. The 75-min exercise session consisted of four 15-min periods of walking on a treadmill to a target heart rate of 140 bpm and three 5-min rest periods.