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What Causes High Protein Levels In Urine?
I recently had my yearly physical and a urine test came back positive for protein. I then took a home urine test early the next morning which also came up positive. My doctor then told me to make sure i was properly hydrated before doing the same thing the next morning. I did and it also came back positive for abnormal protein in the urine. I just had a blood test. What should I expect the results to say?
Wed, 26 Jun 2019
Hi,
Protein in the urine is a serious finding. Normally there is no protein in the urine. Sometimes some protein can be detected for various reasons, without kidney disease. The protein quantity is very important to know. Various diseases or syndromes may cause protein leakage. In order to find out what caused it a careful review of your medical history, drugs, symptoms and tests are required.
Some important tests to consider include the following:
- 24 hour urine collection for protein.
- antinuclear antibodies (ANA), anti-glomerular basement membrane antibodies (anti-GBM)
- serum protein and albumin
- serum protein electrophoresis
- complete blood count
- erythrocyte sedimentation rate
- urine, creatinine
- urinalysis (including microscopic analysis for sediment)
- electrolytes
- kidney ultrasound scan
These are some very basic tests. Depending on the findings, other tests might be considered.
Let me add a few words about some fairly common benign conditions with protein in the urinalysis.
- too dense urine (specific gravity close to 1030) may cause detection of protein.
- urinary tract infection
- orthostatic proteinuria, which means that protein is excreted in the urine when the patient is physically active but not during rest.
Depending on the final diagnosis, the prognosis may be great or pretty bad. Being swollen probably means that your albumin levels in the serum are low, which probably means that you're loosing too much protein in the urine or it could mean a faulty kidney function and fluid retention.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Ivan R. Rommstein, General Surgeon
Protein in the urine is a serious finding. Normally there is no protein in the urine. Sometimes some protein can be detected for various reasons, without kidney disease. The protein quantity is very important to know. Various diseases or syndromes may cause protein leakage. In order to find out what caused it a careful review of your medical history, drugs, symptoms and tests are required.
Some important tests to consider include the following:
- 24 hour urine collection for protein.
- antinuclear antibodies (ANA), anti-glomerular basement membrane antibodies (anti-GBM)
- serum protein and albumin
- serum protein electrophoresis
- complete blood count
- erythrocyte sedimentation rate
- urine, creatinine
- urinalysis (including microscopic analysis for sediment)
- electrolytes
- kidney ultrasound scan
These are some very basic tests. Depending on the findings, other tests might be considered.
Let me add a few words about some fairly common benign conditions with protein in the urinalysis.
- too dense urine (specific gravity close to 1030) may cause detection of protein.
- urinary tract infection
- orthostatic proteinuria, which means that protein is excreted in the urine when the patient is physically active but not during rest.
Depending on the final diagnosis, the prognosis may be great or pretty bad. Being swollen probably means that your albumin levels in the serum are low, which probably means that you're loosing too much protein in the urine or it could mean a faulty kidney function and fluid retention.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Ivan R. Rommstein, General Surgeon
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