What is Urine Protein Electrophoresis

• Quick look
• Glomerular Proteinuria :
• Tubular Proteinuria

Urine protein electrophoresis is another special and helpful test for kidney disease patients. It is a test about urine and focuses on founding out the real cause of protein in urine. In normal
condition, protein is kept in blood and this is achieved through glomeruli and renal tubules. Through urine protein electrophoresis, we can roughly know that protein leak into urine due to injuredglomeruli or injured renal tubules.

Glomerular Proteinuria :

In Urine Protein Electrophoresis, protein in urine are separated according the molecular weight. Generally speaking, excessive macromolecular protein or protein with medium molecular weight in urine usually indicates damages on glomerulus. In normal condition, protein with macromolecular weight and some protein with medium molecular weight can not pass through glomerular filtration membrane due to the mechanical barrier. When glomerular filtration membrane is injured, macromolecular protein leak into urine, forming proteinuria. Therefore, it may indicate injured glomeruli when lots of protein with macromolecular weight are found in urine.

Tubular Proteinuria

Renal tubule plays reabsorption role in the kidney. When blood flow kidney, most of the nutrition are kept in blood. However, there are some protein that are low in molecular weight can pass through glomerular filtration membrane. They are reabsorbed when flow through renal tubule. Therefore, renal tubule is responsible for preserving small molecular protein in blood.

For kidney disease patients, when they are detected to have excess small molecular protein in urine through Urine Protein Electrophoresis, it always indicate their renal tubule is affected seriously.