Urinary protein profiling by high-performance gel permeation chromatography.

We describe a new application of high-performance aqueous gel permeation chromatography for the analysis of human proteinuria. Separations of urinary proteins from normal subjects and patients with renal impairment were performed with TSK G 3000 SW columns. The effects of pH and ionic strength of the eluent on the separation of urinary proteins were investigated. Albumins were selectively separated from urine by affinity chromatography on Blue Sepharose CL-6B. According to the results of clinical investigations, urinary protein pattern derived from gel permeation chromatography revealed a good prediction of the site of renal involvement. Predominant excretion of proteins with lower molecular weight than albumin correlated with tubular damage. Albumin and higher molecular weight protein patterns wer associated with glomerular disease. Absorbance measurements of the eluent at 280 nm were used for quantitative determination of total urinary protein. Gel permeation chromatography was compared to sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and the resulting protein patterns are in good agreement.