Significances of urinary levels of ulinastatin in the diagnosis of dementia

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Relationships between urinary levels of alpha1-microglobulin (alpha1M) and ulinastatin (UT) in patients with dementia were investigated. There were no significant differences in alpha1M and UT levels and alpha1M/UT ratios among three groups : age-matched control subjects, patients with either Alzheimer-type senile dementia (ATD) and vascular dementia (VD). Although a positive correlation was established between alpha1M and UT levels in these groups, the regression slope of demented patients differed significantly from that of controls (P<0.05). A tendency toward a negative correlation between alpha1M/UT ratios and the scores of severity, or duration, of the disease was displayd in the ATD group, whereas a tendency toward a positive correlation between alpha1M/UT ratios and the scores of severity was observed in the VD group. In ATD patients, lower scores of severity were observed, where a lower alpha1M levels were registered. These results suggest that changes in the alpha1M levels and the relationships between urinary levels of alpha1M and UT may provide a useful biochemical index for the diagnosis of dementia.