Microalbuminuria Test
Definition A specific test to detect small quantities of urine albumin
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Why is the Test Performed?
The main reason for performing the test is for the early detection of diabetic nephropathy in a patient who has had diabetes for several years.
Normally less than 150 mg of protein per day (or 10 milligrams per deciliter) are excreted in the urine. The proteins are derived from plasma and the urinary tract. About one-third of the protein is comprised of urine albumin, about one-third small globulins, and about one-third is Tamm-Horsfall protein (a glycoprotein that is secreted by distal tubular cells). Most of the filtered proteins are normally reabsorbed by the proximal tubular cells; so little or no protein normally appears in the urine.
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