Autoantibodies to Tamm-Horsfall protein, a tool for diagnosing the level of urinary-tract infection.

In sera from ten girls with acute pyelonephritis, antibodies of the IgG-class to Tamm-Horsfall protein were found in significantly increased titres; in contrast, titres in sera from six girls with acute cystitis did not differ from those of healthy controls. The results suggest that determination of Tamm-Horsfall antibodies may prove useful for differentiating between upper and lower urinary-tract infection.