Excretion of urinary Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein in girls with recurrent urinary tract infections.

Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein (THG) might constitute a bacteria-fixing mucus which contributes to the non-immunological anti-infectious mechanisms of the lower urinary tract. To evaluate the role of THG in girls with idiopathic recurrent lower urinary tract infections, the THG excretion and concentration in 24-h urine were measured by a radial immunodiffusion method in 16 patients with a median age of 9 years and in 14 healthy age-matched girls. The results showed no significant differences in the THG excretion or concentration between the patients and the controls. Transiently decreased THG excretion rates as well as functional changes in the ability and/or capacity to trap bacteria, however, may leave girls periodically prone to colonization of the bladder. Thus, further studies are warranted to evaluate the importance of THG in the bladder defence mechanism.