Sulfosalicylic Acid Test

Sulfosalicylic Acid Test

Sulfosalicylic Acid Test is a qualitative test for the detection of protein in the urine. A method in which sulfosalicylic acid (that is, the SSA reagent) is added to a small and equal volume of clear. urine. Most plasma proteins. are too large to pass through the glomeruli of the kidney. The small amount of protein that does filter through is normally reabsorbed back into the blood by the kidney tubules. When more than trace amounts of protein are found in urine. this is tamed proteinuria. Detection of proteinuria is an important indicator of renal disease because protein has a very low maximal tubular rate of reabsorption.

Principle of Sulfosalicylic Acid Test:

Proteins precipitated by sulphosalicylic acid ane the negative change of sulphosalicylic and neutralize the positive charge on protein causing denaturation and cause precipitation of proteins. This test can detect albumin, hemoglobin, myoglobin, and Bence Joe’s proteins.

Causes:

Proteinuria is high levels of protein in your urine causes may include relatively harmless conditions:

• Dehydration
• Intense exercise a more serious
• Kidney disease or immune disorders
• Inflammation
• Low blood pressure (Hypotension)
• Kidney Stones

Requirements for Sulfosalicylic Acid Test:

• 3% sulfosalicylic acid solution.
• Glass tubes.
• Urine (10 ml).
• Centrifuge, general purpose.
• Pipettes / micropipettes
• Measuring cylinder
• Test tube
• pH paper/PH meter
• 3% glacial acetic acid-10%.

Procedure:

• Take a 10ml Urine sample in the sterilized container.
• Centrifuge the urine if cloudy or hazy.
• Take 1 ml of supernatant urine each in two tubes.
• In one tube 3ml of 3% Sulfosalicylic is added, and mixed.
• Check the portion of urine, if it is alkaline or neutral add 10% acetic and solution, drop by drop, until it is just acidic (about pH 6).
• Another test tube with Urine only acts as blank. Both the tubes are allowed to stand for 10 minutes.
• The tubes are compared for turbidity.

Reporting Results:

• No cloudiness, no precipitate = Negative
• Faint white precipitate = Trace
• Turbit, but can see lines and read paint through the tube. 1+ Definite turbidity.
• Heavy turbidity but no flocculation. 2+:
• Heavy turbidity with light flocculation. 3+:
• Heavy turbidity with heavy flocculation. 4+:

Note:

Normal urine doesn’t contain detectable protein by this method. A false positive result may be obtained if the patient is receiving tolbutamide or penicillin, and some other dong. A high concentration of crates In the urine may cause a positive result due to the precipitation of mate in acidic urine.