Apolipoprotein (a) is present in urine and its excretion is decreased in patients with renal failure. Clin Chem

To investigate the relation between renal function and concentrations of iipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] in serum, we mea-sured Lp(a) in samples of serum and unne from patients with diabetes mellitus and in samples sent to a laboratory center for measurements of creatinine clearance. 5erum Lp(a) concentrations were significantly increased in sub-jects with obvious renal dysfunction (serum creatinine 1 76.8 p.mol/L) compared with normal control subjects. Urinary Lp(a) excretion was decreased in subjects with obvious renal dysfunction compared with subjects without obvious renal dysfunction (serum creatinine 88.4 p.mol/L) and was negatively and positively correlated with serum creatinine and creatinine clearance, respectively. More than 80 % of urinary Lp(a) was recovered in the d>1.21 kg/L fraction. At least six bands for apolipopro-tein(a) [apo(a) fragments, which were smaller than nativ