Hyponatremia with Persistent Elevated Urinary Fractional Uric Acid Excretion: Evidence for Proximal Tubular Injury?

Background/Aims: Hyponatremia associated with high urinary fractional excretion of uric acid which persists after serum sodium is corrected is the cardinal feature of salt losing nephropathy (SLN). We hypothesize that low grade proximal tubular injury is present in SLN because the proximal tubule is the main site of uric acid and sodium transport. Methods: Five subjects with SLN were compared to four subjects with recurrent hyponatremia and three healthy individuals. Urinary NGAL (neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin, a marker of tubular injury) and fasting urinary fructose levels (a marker of proximal tubular injury) were measured. Results: Subjects with SLN (n=5) showed elevated fractional uric acid excretion (22 ± 6 vs 4 ± 2 percent, pConclusion: High urinary fractional excretion of uric acid in SLN is associated with elevated NGAL and fasting urinary fructose levels suggesting that SLN may involve tubular injury