Original Article


Value of micro-proteinuria in combination with ultrasonography of the left renal vein in the diagnosis of orthostatic proteinuria

Xiao-Ling Niu, Ying Wu, Sheng Hao, Ping Wang, Yu-Lin Kang, Xin-Yu Kuang, Guang-Hua Zhu, Wen-Yan Huang

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical value of micro-proteinuria in combination with ultrasonography of the left renal vein (LRV) in the diagnosis of orthostatic proteinuria (OP).
Methods: The patients with suspected OP received West test, upright lordotic position test, Robinson test, ultrasonography of the LRV, and detection of morning urine micro-proteinuria and micro-proteinuria after activity. The sensitivity (Se), specificity (Sp), positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV), positive and negative likelihood ratios (PLR and NLR) and Youden’s index (YI) for micro-proteinuria, ultrasonography of the LRV and both of them in the diagnosis of OP were analyzed.
Results: From January 2013 to January 2018, 75 patients (M/F: 38/37) were recruited. Sixty patients were diagnosed with OP (M/F: 29/31, median age at onset: 10.6±2.80 years); 15 patients had no OP (M/F: 9/6, median age at onset: 10.9±3.25 years); the LRV entrapment, urine Alb/Cr, IgG/Cr, and NAG/Cr after activity were significantly different between OP group and non-OP group (Z=–3.55, –4.10, –4.01, –3.04, P<0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) of urine Alb/Cr, IgG/Cr, NAG/Cr, and the ratio of anteroposterior (AP) for LRV in the hilar and narrow portions (a/b) was 0.84, 0.84, 0.76 and 0.58, respectively, and the best cut-off value was 13.2 mg/mmol, 2.52 mg/mmol, 0.64 U/mmol and 4.06, respectively. The combination of ultrasonography of the LRV and elevated micro-proteinuria after activity could achieve the Se, Sp, PPV, NPV, PLR (weighted by prevalence, W), NLR (W) and YI at 93.3% (95% CI: 0.83–0.98), 66.7% (95% CI: 0.39–0.87), 91.8% (95% CI: 0.81–0.97), 71.4% (95% CI: 0.42–0.90), 11.2 (95% CI: 4.82–26.00), 0.40 (95% CI: 0.17–0.97) and 60%, respectively, in the diagnosis of OP.
Conclusions: The micro-proteinuria in combination of ultrasonography of the LRV is helpful for the preliminary screening of OP in patients with suspected OP.

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