Urinary citrate excretion in normal adults.

ABSTRACT

For 60 healthy subjects, aged 18-48, the urinary citrate excretion was studied by enzymatic method of Toftegaard Nielsen. The mean values in 24hr. urine were 1.44+0.61 mmole/day, 1.33+0.54 mmole/l. and 1.80+1.06 mmole/gm Cr, respectively. In single voided urine specimens, urinary citrate concentrations were 1.44+0.74 mmole/l and 1.82+0.98 mmole/gm Cr. Females had a higher mean value than males. There was no significant difference in the concentration of citrated excreted in different periods of the day when the excretion was expreesed as mmole per gram of creatinine, but when expressed in mmole per litre, the 10 pm-6 am period was different from others. The concentration of excreted citrate in each period correlated well with the 24 hour excretion, especially when it was expressed as mmole per litre (corr. Coeff. 0.55-0.9). Therefore, a single voided specimen can be used in the evaluation of total daily citrate excretion.