Laser immunonephelometry for routine quantification of urinary albumin excretion.

We describe a laser-immunonephelometric method for quantifying urinary albumin excretion (UAE) in large numbers of samples. For a 150-microL sample incubated at room temperature for 45 min with 40 microL of antiserum specific for human serum albumin, the assay range for albumin was 0.34 to 43.0 mg/L. For samples analyzed undiluted and diluted 10-fold, the range of measurable albumin was from 0.34 to 430.0 mg/L. With an automated version of this method, one can assay 240 samples per hour. Intra- and interassay CVs were less than 6% and 9%, respectively. Measurements by this method (y) correlated well with those obtained by a RIA method (x): y = 1.00x + 0.163 mg/L (n = 233; r = 0.996). The day-to-day CV for UAE was determined for three consecutive determinations done on each of 60 controls according to the time of collection and in 212 diabetics according to the amount of 24-h UAE. For controls, UAE was 8.0 +/- 8.1 mg/24 h (mean +/- SD), CV 44 +/- 23%. The CV was similar for diurnal (50 +/- 28%) and overnight (58 +/- 32%) collections from controls; and for diabetics with normal values for UAE: 35 +/- 32%, with slight albuminuria (25-300 mg/24 h):37 +/- 28%, or with macroalbuminuria (greater than 300 mg/24 h): 47 +/- 42%.