[Effects of intravascular contrast media on urinary excretion of liver fatty acid-binding protein].

Proximal tubules of the kidney produce liver fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) and the level of messenger RNA is increased by physical and chemical stimuli. In this study, changes in urinary excretion of L-FABP were examined in 18 patients without renal dysfunction and who had undergone angiography using iodinated contrast media. On the day following angiography, the urinary excretion of L-FABP was markedly increased by 578 % (p<0.001) as compared with the value before the administration of contrast media. The urinary N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase excretion was also increased by +93%, however, the extent was less marked than for L-FABP. The urinary L-FABP excretion swiftly returned to the basal level on the second day after the angiography. No patient showed an increase in serum creatinine concentration, and the changes in urinary excretions of other microproteins, such as beta2-microglobulin and alpha1-microglobulin, were not significant. These results suggest that the urinary excretion of L-FABP sensitively reflects the injurious stress on renal tubules. Monitoring of urinary L-FABP may be useful in detecting the development of contrast media nephropathy at an early stage.