Nephrotic Syndrome

The following tests and procedures help diagnose nephrotic syndrome:

Urinalysis tests

A urinalysis (urine test) examines the visual, chemical and microscopic aspects of your pee. Your healthcare provider may recommend a few different types of urinalysis tests.

During a dipstick test, you’ll pee into a special container at your healthcare provider’s office or a hospital. Then, a healthcare provider will place a strip of paper coated with special chemicals (dipstick) into the container. The dipstick will change color if there’s albumin in your pee.

If your healthcare provider needs a more precise measurement, they may recommend urine protein tests. Urine protein tests may include a single urine sample or a 24-hour collection of urine.

In a single urine sample, your container is sent to a lab. Lab technicians compare how much albumin and creatinine are in your pee (albumin-to-creatinine ratio). If your urine sample has more than 30 milligrams (mg) of albumin for each gram of creatinine, it may signal a problem.

In a 24-hour urine collection, your healthcare provider will give you a container to collect your pee from home. On the day of the test, you’ll:

• Pee in the toilet as usual when you first wake up.
• Pee in the container the rest of the day until you go to sleep.
• Pee in the container one last time when you first wake up the following day.

You’ll then drop your sample off at your healthcare provider’s office or a lab. Lab technicians will only measure the amount of albumin in your sample.

Blood tests

During an albumin blood test, your healthcare provider will use a thin needle to withdraw a small amount of blood from a vein in your arm. The blood sample goes to a lab for testing. A low level of albumin or other proteins may indicate nephrotic syndrome.

Lab technicians may also test your blood cholesterol and blood triglyceride levels. Those levels may increase if your blood albumin level is low.

Kidney biopsy

During a kidney biopsy, your healthcare provider will remove a small piece of your kidney tissue to examine at a lab under a microscope.

Your healthcare provider will first numb the area with a local anesthetic so you won’t feel any pain. They’ll also give you a light sedative to help you relax. Then, they’ll insert a needle through your skin and into your kidney to collect the tissue sample.

If you have diabetes and your healthcare provider suspects you have nephrotic syndrome, you likely won’t need a kidney biopsy. Your medical history, urine tests and blood tests are often enough to help them diagnose nephrotic syndrome as a result of your diabetes.