Protein electrophoresis - urine

• Alternative Names

  Urine protein electrophoresis; UPEP

• How the test is performed

  A clean-catch (midstream) urine sample is needed.

  Men or boys should first wipe clean the head of the penis. Women or girls need to wash the area between the lips of the vagina with soapy water and rinse well.

  As you start to urinate, allow a small amount to fall into the toilet bowl (this clears the urethra of contaminants). Then, in a clean container, catch about 1 to 2 ounces of urine and remove the container from the urine stream. Give the container to the health care provider or assistant.

  In infants, thoroughly wash the area around the urethra. Open a urine collection bag (a plastic bag with an adhesive paper on one end), and place it on your infant. For boys, the entire penis can be placed in the bag and the adhesive attached to the skin. For girls, the bag is placed over the labia. Place a diaper over the infant (bag and all).

  Check your baby frequently and remove the bag after the infant has urinated into it. For active infants, this procedure may take a couple of attempts -- lively infants can displace the bag. The urine is drained into a container for transport back to the health care provider.

  The laboratory specialist will place the urine sample on special paper and apply an electric current. The various proteins move and form visible bands, which reveal the general amounts of each protein.

• How to prepare for the test

  Your health care provider may tell you to stop taking certain medicines that could interfere with the test. Medicines that can affect test results include:

  • Chlorpromazine
  • Corticosteroids
  • Isoniazid
  • Neomycin
  • Phenacemide
  • Salicylates
  • Sulfonamides
  • Tolbutamide

  Never stop taking any medication without first talking to your health care provider.

• How the test will feel

  This test involves only normal urination. There is no discomfort.

• Why the test is performed

  Only small amounts of protein is normally found in the urine. The presence of protein in the urine can be a sign of many different disorders.

  Urine protein electrophoresis may be recommended to help determine the cause of protein in the urine, or as a screening test to measure the various proteins in urine. Urine protein is roughly divided into two types: urine albumin and globulins.

• Normal Values

  No significant amount of globulins in the urine. Urine albumin is less than 50 mg/dL.

  Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to your doctor about the meaning of your specific test results.

• What abnormal results mean
  • Acute inflammation
  • Amyloidosis
  • Decreased kidney function
  • Diabetic nephropathy
  • Kidney failure
  • Multiple myeloma
  • Nephrotic syndrome
  • Acute urinary tract infection
• What the risks are

  There are no risks associated with this test.

• References

  McPherson RA and Pincus MR. Henry's Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods. 21st ed. Philadelphia, Pa: WB Saunders; 2007:232-233.

  Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2007: Instant Diagnosis and Treatment. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby; 2007:1375-1376.

Review Date: 6/14/2008

Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and James R. Mason, MD, Oncologist, Director, Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program and Stem Cell Processing Lab, Scripps Clinic, Torrey Pines, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.