Urinary protein profiles in patients with urothelial bladder tumours.

Urinary protein profiles were studied in 32 patients with urothelial bladder tumours, using immunonephelometry. In patients without residual or recurrent tumours a glomerular type of proteinuria was demonstrated. In patients with grade III-IV transitional cell carcinoma the glomerular proteinuria was more severe than in patients with grade I-II tumours. Increased excretion of low molecular weight proteins was observed only in patients with grade III-IV tumours. The use of the increased relative clearance of albumin, transferrin, and haptoglobin as a diagnostic test was attempted in detecting residual or recurrent tumours. In patients with grade III-IV tumours the predictive value of a positive or negative test was 92% and 100% respectively, whereas the relative protein clearance was without predictive value in patients with grade I-II tumours.