URINARY LEVELS OF MONOCYTE CHEMOATTRACTANT PROTEIN (MCP)-1 AND DISEASE-ACTIVITY IN PATIENTS WITH IGA NEPHROPATHY

Using a quantitative sandwich ELISA, we studied 17 patients with IgA n ephropathy to determine if levels of urinary monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) might reflect the disease activity. The levels of ur inary MCP-1 in patients with the advanced stage were significantly hig her than those in patients with the mild stage of the disease, or in h ealthy controls. The results showed a significant correlation between the levels of urinary MCP-1 and the disease activity, i.e., levels of urinary casts and urinary protein. It was thus suggested that the meas urement of urinary MCP-1 is useful in evaluating the degree of renal i nvanced juries and/or prognosis in patients with IgA nephropathy. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.