PLASMA AND URINARY LEVELS OF ADRENOMEDULLIN IN CHRONIC GLOMERULONEPHRITIS PATIENTS WITH PROTEINURIA

In this study, we measured levels of plasma and urinary adrenomedullin (AM) in 37 patients with chronic glomerulonephritis including minimal change nephrotic syndrome, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis or memb ranous nephropathy that can induce severe proteinuria. Thirty-nine hea lthy volunteers were enrolled as controls, Plasma and urinary AM level s were measured by an AM-specific radioimmunoassay, Plasma AM concentr ations were higher and urinary AM levels were lower in patients with c hronic glomerulonephritis than in healthy volunteers, Patients were di vided into two groups according to urinary excretion of protein for 24 h (UPro, g/day) which reflects the disease activity or glomerular dam age of the glomerulonephritis (group I: Upro < 1, group II: Upro great er than or equal to 1). Plasma AM levels positively and urinary AM-lev els negatively correlated with the degree of proteinuria, These result s suggest that plasma and urinary AM levels in patients with chronic g lomerulonephritis reflect the disease activity or glomerular damage re presented by the degree of proteinuria,