Urinary Microprotein Test

A urine microprotein test is a screening test to look for the presence of microproteins in the urine; especially albumin. When the kidneys are healthy, virtually no microproteins pass out of the kidneys and into the urine. However, if a person's kidneys become diseased or damaged, they are less able to leave the microproteins behind, and some microproteins, owing to their small size begin to filter through and appear in the urine. It is necessary to diagnose the presence of microproteins in urine to prevent various kidney related diseases.

You need to discuss about the medications you are taking with the laboratory professional as different medicines can alter the results of the test. If you had any kind of radiology scan within 3 days prior to the test, you need to inform the laboratory professional. You need to drink adequate amount of water before the test as dehydration can alter the result of the test. There is no need of fasting for this test. Also, if you have any history of urinary tract infections, you need to inform about it to the laboratory professional.

Test results within the reference ranges followed by the testing laboratory indicate that kidney function is normal. However, values above the reference range indicate that kidney disease or damage is present. If your test result shows a high level of micro protein or albumin, it is likely that your doctor will repeat the test. If the second test is also high, your doctor may order additional tests to further check your kidney function. Large amounts of microprotein may indicate conditions like diabetes, urinary tract infection, hypertension or any other kind of kidney infection. Hence, it is vital to conduct this test to rule out the above conditions.

You will be asked to give a urine sample in a container. The laboratory professional will provide you with proper instructions for collecting the urine sample. Your doctor will decide if the sample can be a random sample or needs to be a sample collected over a certain time frame (such as 24 hours). The sample will then be sent to the research laboratory to determine the amounts of micro protein or albumin in it.