Autoantibodies to Tamm-Horsfall protein associated with urinary tract infections in girls.

Girls with various forms of urinary tract infections and a reference material were analyzed for autoantibodies in serum to the Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein. Such antibodies could be detected in all sera analyzed. In the control subjects cord blood contained very low IgA and IgM anti-TH, which increased significantly up to the age of 8 months. The IgG anti-TH levels in cord blood correlated with maternal levels. After the age of 2 months the IgG anti-TH followed the anti-TH levels of the other immunoglobulin classes. Among the infants aged 2 to 7 months with acute UTI, no anti-TH increases were found. In girls more than one year of age with acute nonobstructive UTI, IgG and IgA anti-TH levels were significantly higher in those with acute pyelonephritis and reflux, with or without parenchymal reduction, than in those with acute pyelonephritis and normal radiologic findings. The latter group had significantly higher levels of IgG and IgA but not IgM anti-TH than did those with acute cystitits. In contrast, girls with renal parenchymal reduction but no signs of infection at the time of testing had significantly depressed anti-TH levels compared to control values.