INDIVIDUALIZATION OF FRESH AND STORED HUMAN URINE SAMPLES BY PGM(1)-SUBTYPING AND GC-SUBTYPING

After 50- to 200-fold concentration by ultrafiltration, 56 fresh urine samples from healthy individuals (26 men, 30 women) and eight samples from corpses were subjected to isoelectrofocusing methods. All the ur ine samples tested could be correctly typed in both the phosphoglucoma tase 1 (PGM(1)) and Gc system when compared to reference blood samples . The activity of urinary PGM(1) revealed intraindividual and interind ividual variations. To our knowledge this is the first report of PGM(1 ) detection in urine. A systematic storage experiment over a period of 6 months was carried out at different temperatures (-20 degrees C, 4 degrees C, 20 degrees C); furthermore, aging of urine samples from 4 m onths to 4 years was investigated. The heterogeneous typing results we re as follows. For Gc: after a storage period of 6 months positive res ults could be obtained in similar to 40% of those samples that were st ored frozen (-20 degrees C) or in a refrigerator (4 degrees C). Some s amples, however, showed negative analyses already after a 1 month stor age period. At room temperature positive results could be achieved up to 3-months. Additional bands can appear in pherograms of urine sample s stored at room temperature or in a refrigerator; they may cause misi nterpretation, dependent on the original Gc-type. The maximum storage time compatible with successful Gc-typing was 1 year. For PGM(1): this polymorphism could be regularly detected up to 1 week, and in some ca ses up to 1 month, in urine samples stored at 4 degrees C. The PGM(1) activity gradually decreased; there were no additional or variant band s.