Urinary excretion of basement membrane antigen in normal persons and patients with febrile proteinuria--quantitated by means of rocket immunoelectrophoresis.

The urinary excretion of a glomerular basement membrane-like antigen was quantitated in 19 adult normal subjects and in 15 patients with febrile proteinuria by means of rocket immunoelectrophoresis. In the normal persons the excretion averaged 59 (S.D.8.9) U/24 hours' creatinine clearance. An increased excretion was demonstrated in 80% of the patients. There was a significant relation between the urinary excretions of albumin and protein in the patients with febrile proteinuria. The basement membrane antigen was also demonstrated in normal human serum, liver and placenta. No unusual basement membrane antigen could be demonstrated in the urine from patients with febrile proteinuria.