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Tubular proteinuria is the dominant type of proteinuria in an elderly community population in China

  • Nephrology - Original Paper
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Abstract

Purpose

To explore the types of proteinuria in the elderly population in China.

Methods

Seven hundred and fourteen elderly people (≥60 years old) from Tianjin, China, were selected for the study. The albumin-to-creatinine ratio and α1-microglobulin-to-creatinine ratio from morning urine samples were used as indicators of proteinuria. The prevalence of proteinuria was evaluated and the proportion of three different types of proteinuria (mixed, glomerular, and tubular) was assessed in the subjects by analyzing these indicators.

Results

Of the 714 subjects, 29.13 % had elevated ACR and 46.36 % had elevated MCR. The proportion of subjects with either elevated ACR or MCR was 53.78 %. The correlation between MCR and ACR was moderate (r = 0.58, R 2 = 0.34, P < 0.001). Overall, tubular proteinuria was dominant (45.83 %), followed by mixed glomerular and tubular proteinuria (35.68 %), and significantly higher than glomerular proteinuria. A diet high in salt was the independent risk factor for tubular proteinuria; physical activity was the independent risk factor for glomerular proteinuria. The risk of glomerular proteinuria was lower in males than in females, but the risk of tubular proteinuria was higher in males.

Conclusions

The prevalence of tubular proteinuria was higher than that of glomerular proteinuria, and the risk factors are different, in the elderly in China; therefore, tubular damage markers should get more attention in the overall population.

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Acknowledgments

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. However, we appreciate Tianjin Jun Liangcheng Hospital for supporting this study.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Graduate School of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China

      Hua-Bin Wang & Xu Jiang

    2. Department of Clinical Laboratory, Tianjin Union Medicine Center, Jie Yuan Road, Hongqiao District, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China

      Qing-Hong Yang, Xiao-Fan Cui & Rui Liu

    Authors
    1. Hua-Bin Wang
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    2. Qing-Hong Yang
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    3. Xu Jiang
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    4. Xiao-Fan Cui
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    Corresponding author

    Correspondence to Rui Liu.

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    No authors declared the potential conflict of interest.

    Additional information

    Hua-Bin Wang and Qing-Hong Yang have contributed equally to this work.

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    Wang, HB., Yang, QH., Jiang, X. et al. Tubular proteinuria is the dominant type of proteinuria in an elderly community population in China. Int Urol Nephrol 47, 1541–1546 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11255-015-1064-3

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11255-015-1064-3

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