Protein / Creatinine Ratio 24 Hour Urine

Protein Creatinine Ratio 24 Hour Urine test gives an estimate of the amount of protein lost in the urine. This test is correlated with 24-hour urine protein test for quantitating urinary protein loss. It is the simple and more convenient test to monitor the urinary protein loss in individuals with chronic kidney disease.

What are Proteins and Creatinine?

Proteins are essential for the proper functioning and growth of the body’s cells and tissues. Normally, healthy kidneys do not allow the proteins to pass through it and into the urine. But in damaged or diseased kidneys the proteins start to get filter through and appear in the urine. Albumin is the most abundant protein in the blood. Due to its small molecular size, it gets easily filtered through the kidney if it is damaged. The condition of an excess amount of protein in the urine is known as proteinuria. Persistent protein in the urine may indicate kidney damage.

Creatinine is the breakdown product of the muscles of the body. It is released into the bloodstream and removed from the blood by the kidneys. Kidneys filter the creatinine and remove from the body via urine. Individuals whose kidneys are not working properly cannot filter the creatinine through it. This results in an increased level of creatinine in the blood and absence or low levels of creatinine in the urine.

Urine protein loss and low creatinine levels in the urine may indicate a kidney damage. The protein: creatinine ratio helps to rule out the presence of significant urine protein loss.

Why this test is performed?

This test is performed to monitor the urinary protein loss in individuals with chronic kidney disease. This test should only be performed on urine samples with evidence of excess protein. This test is a confirmatory test to rule out the presence of significant urine protein loss. If both a urine creatinine and a 24-hour urine protein test are performed, the resulting protein: creatinine ratio confirms the presence of significant urine protein loss.

Your doctor may ask to perform this test if you have an existing kidney disorder or as follow up to a positive urine creatinine and a 24-hour urine protein test. Your doctor may also recommend this test in individuals who had shown previous positive results within a period of 1-2 weeks to confirm the urine protein loss.

How often this test is performed?

Patients with kidney disorders should perform this test on a regular basis, as instructed by the doctor.

If the Protein Creatinine Ratio is above the normal range it shows the presence of significant urine protein loss. Abnormally increased levels of protein in urine indicate a kidney damage or disease. Signs and symptoms of kidney damage are poor appetites, foamy or dark-colored urine, fatigue, swollen abdomen, decreased urination or change in the frequency of urination, back pain, high blood pressure, uncontrolled diabetes etc. However, individuals who had shown a positive result have to perform this test again within a period of 1-2 weeks to confirm the urine protein loss.

Low levels of protein in urine indicate inflammatory or neoplastic processes involving the urinary tract.

Based on the test results, your doctor may advise appropriate medical treatments, lifestyle modifications, or further diagnostic tests.