EVALUATION OF THERAPY FOR CAST NEPHROPATHY - FAILURE OF COLCHICINE TOALTER URINARY TAMM-HORSFALL GLYCOPROTEIN EXCRETION IN NORMAL SUBJECTS

Tamm Horsfall glycoprotein (THG) is a major constituent of renal tubul ar casts including the light chain casts of myeloma. Animal studies su ggest that the anti-inflammatory agent colchicine reduces urinary THG excretion and prevents light chain cast formation. Six normal male sub jects were given therapeutic doses of colchicine (0.5 mg twice daily f or 6 days) and excretion of THG, albumin, creatinine and N-acetyl gluc osaminidase (NAG) was determined. Colchicine therapy had no effect on the urinary excretion of THG, albumin or NAG or on renal function as a ssessed by creatinine clearance. This suggests that colchicine will no t be a useful therapeutic adjunct to the treatment of light-chain neph ropathy.