Affiliation:
1. Department of Nephrology, Clinic for Internal Diseases, Dialysis and Kidney Transplantation, University Clinical Centre Tuzla, Trnovac bb, 75000 Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Abstract
Aim. The aim of this study was to compare urinary alpha 1 microglobulin (A1MG) in healthy individuals with and without family burden for Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) in an endemic village.Methods. Otherwise healthy inhabitants with microalbuminuria or proteinuria were divided into two groups: with (n=24) and without (n=32) family BEN burden and screened for urinary A1MG and A1MG/urine creatinine ratio.Results. Average value of urinary A1MG was10.35±7.01 mg/L in group with and10.79±8.27 mg/L in group without family history for BEN (NS,P=0.87). A1MG was higher than 10 mg/L in eight (33.33%) inhabitants with family history and in 12 (37.5%) without (NS,P=0.187). Average values of urinary A1MG/creatinine ratio were1.30±1.59and0.94±0.78in group with and group without family BEN history (NS,P=0.39, resp.). Elevated values of this ratio were found in 13 (54.17%) inhabitants with and 14 (43.75%) without family history for BEN (NS,P=0.415).Conclusion. We did not find statistically significant difference in the examined markers between healthy individuals with and without family burden for BEN. We concluded that these markers are not predictive of risk for BEN.