Hv. Jensen et al., URINARY-EXCRETION OF ALBUMIN AND TRANSFERRIN IN LITHIUM MAINTENANCE TREATMENT - DAILY VERSUS ALTERNATE-DAY LITHIUM DOSING SCHEDULE, Psychopharmacology, 122(3), 1995, pp. 317-320
Urinary excretion of albumin and transferrin was determined by means o
f sensitive immunochemical methods in 40 manic-depressive patients pri
or to and following 6 months of daily or alternate-day lithium carbona
te treatment. The median dose of lithium carbonate was 700 mg in the d
aily treatment group and 1200 mg in the alternate-day group, the corre
sponding median 12-h serum lithium concentration being 0.6 mmol l(-1)
and 0.7 mmol l(-1), respectively. Urinary excretion of albumin and tra
nsferrin was significantly elevated in the lithium-treated patients as
compared to a control group (Mann-Whitney). The change in urinary alb
umin:creatinine and transferrin:creatinine ratios between allocation a
nd 6 months of treatment did not correlate significantly with the lith
ium dosing schedule (multiple linear regression), but did correlate wi
th total lithium carbonate dose. In conclusion, the study provides no
evidence of any difference in glomerular function (permeability) in th
e daily and alternate-day lithium dosing schedules, and lends no suppo
rt to the hypothesis that alternate-day treatment diminishes the effec
t of lithium on renal function.