The assay of laminin fragments in serum and urine as an indicator of renal damage induced by toxins.

An ELISA procedure for the assay of laminin fragments in serum and urine is described. Samples from solvent-exposed workers and diabetic patients were studied. In cohorts exposed to perchloroethylene serum and urine laminin fragments were elevated but the urinary N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) was unaffected. The data indicate that the urinary assay may be more specific for renal damage than the serum method. Differences in the excretion of NAG and urinary laminin fragments were observed in the diabetic groups suggesting that the excretion of these two components reflects different stages of severity of the disease.