[Value of the protein profile in the diagnosis of infectious endocarditis when hemolysis is present]. / Apport du profil protéique pour le diagnostic d'endocardite infectieuse quand il révèle une hémolyse.

PURPOSE: Haptoglobin (H) and orosomucoid (O) are acute phase proteins that increase in a parallel manner. When hemolysis and inflammation are both present, study of the O-H couple on the protein profile may reveal an unknown hemolysis. METHODS: To determine if hemolysis is more frequent during infectious endocarditis than during septicemia without valvulopathy or during valvulopathy without septicemia. Study of three groups of patients: 26 patients with infectious endocarditis, 13 patients with septicemia and 36 patients with valvulopathy without septicemia. Studied parameters were the O-H couple, hemoglobin and rate of O. RESULTS: Hemolysis is clear in patients with endocarditis. The difference O-H is significantly more important during endocarditis than during septicemia without valvulopathy (P < 0.001) and during valvulopathy without sepsis (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Study of the O-H couple may be useful for the diagnosis of endocarditis showing a difficult-to-diagnose hemolysis.

[Quantification of proteinuria by measurement of the protein/creatinine ratio]. / Quantification de la protéinurie par la mesure du rapport protéine sur créatinine.

Accurate quantification of urinary protein excretion is difficult due to problems in 24-hour urine collection. We have evaluated the value of the protein/creatinine ratio in one single urine sample. There was an excellent correlation between this ratio and the protein content of a 24-hour urine collection [Pu (g/24 h) = 11.7 Pu (g/l) Cr (mmol/l); r = 0.96; P less than 0.001]. The best correlation was found with the sample collected after the first voided morning specimen. In our experience the ratio is more accurate for the quantification of urinary protein excretion than measurement of protein excretion in the same urine sample and also determination of protein excretion in 24-hour urine collected under the usual ambulatory conditions. We suggest that the protein/creatinine ratio should be used in ambulatory and hospitalized patients, especially for multicentric clinical trials in nephrology.