Protein, Total, 24 Hours Urine
This test quantifies total protein excreted over 24 hours: the gold standard for measuring kidney protein loss. It helps diagnose and classify kidney diseases like nephrotic syndrome.
- DHA-licensed lab
- Includes Doctor Consultation
- Physician-reviewed
- Same Day Collection
24 hours
Turnaround
24-Hour Urine
Sample
What the Protein, Total, 24 Hours Urine test tells you
This test collects all the urine passed over a full day and measures the total quantity of protein in it. It is a kidney test, not a blood test: it is asking how much protein is escaping into the urine, which is an entirely different question from the total protein circulating in the bloodstream. Healthy kidneys return almost all filtered protein to the blood, so urine normally contains only traces.
Measuring a whole day's output removes the effect of how much you drank and when, and gives the most exact figure available for how much protein the kidneys are letting go. The size of that loss is one of the central measurements in kidney medicine. It separates a mild, incidental finding from the heavy loss that causes visible swelling and a raised risk of clots and infection. The pattern also carries information: loss dominated by albumin points towards the filtering units, a mixture of smaller proteins points towards the tubules, and unusual proteins can suggest a bone-marrow disorder.
Because it is precise but demanding, the full-day collection is usually reserved for situations where the exact figure changes what happens next: establishing a diagnosis, deciding whether a kidney biopsy is warranted, or judging the response to immune-suppressing treatment. For routine monitoring, most clinicians now use the protein-to-creatinine ratio from a single sample instead. Whichever is used, your doctor interprets the result with blood tests, blood pressure and the clinical picture rather than on its own.
Gold standard for quantifying proteinuria, diagnosing nephrotic syndrome, and monitoring treatment response in kidney diseases.
- Most exact quantification
Measuring a whole day's urine gives the firmest figure for protein loss, unaffected by fluid intake or the timing of the sample.
- Grades kidney protein loss
The amount lost separates a minor, incidental finding from heavy loss that needs prompt specialist attention.
- Guides specialist decisions
Kidney specialists use it when the exact figure influences a biopsy or a change in immune-suppressing treatment.
- Tracks treatment response
Repeat collections show whether protein loss is genuinely falling on therapy or continuing to rise.
Reasons your doctor may request the Protein, Total, 24 Hours Urine test
Your doctor may order this test for any of the reasons below. Some are routine checks, others follow specific symptoms or an earlier result.
When an exact figure is needed
- Protein has been found on a dipstick or a spot ratio and an exact figure is now needed.
- A spot protein-to-creatinine ratio has given borderline or inconsistent results.
Suspected nephrotic syndrome
- Nephrotic syndrome is suspected because of swelling and abnormal blood protein results.
Treatment decisions & systemic disease
- A kidney biopsy or immune-suppressing treatment is being considered.
- Response to treatment for glomerular disease needs to be measured accurately.
- Kidney involvement in a systemic disease such as lupus or amyloidosis is being assessed.
This figure is the protein your kidneys let through over a full day. A result in the Normal band, 0 to 149 mg/24h, indicates no significant loss during that collection and needs no action. A High result, 150 to 3000 mg/24h, means protein is being lost, and the size of the figure matters: a heavy loss is a different clinical situation from a small, incidental one. The commonest reason for a misleading result is an incomplete collection: one missed passing of urine understates the total, and nothing in the report reveals it. A fever, a urinary tract infection or heavy exercise during the collection day can raise the figure temporarily, so an abnormal result is often repeated before conclusions are drawn. The test shows how much protein is lost, not which protein or why. Your doctor reads it with your kidney function, blood pressure, other urine results and your history.
Medically reviewed by Dr Nirupama Sabhapathy
Ranges are a guide: your physician interprets your result alongside your symptoms and history.
What a higher result can point to
- Glomerular disease, where the filtering membranes leak protein into the urine.
- Diabetic kidney disease that has progressed beyond its earliest stage.
- Pre-eclampsia during pregnancy.
- Tubular disease, in which small proteins are no longer reabsorbed.
- Abnormal protein production in a bone-marrow disorder such as myeloma.
- Infection, fever or heavy exertion during the collection period.
These are possibilities, not diagnoses. A single value outside the reference range is interpreted alongside your symptoms, history and other tests: your doctor decides what it means for you.
What this test cannot tell you
- Accuracy depends entirely on a complete collection, and a single missed passing of urine understates the result without anyone being able to tell.
- The test measures how much protein is lost, not which protein or why, so further testing is usually needed.
- Temporary rises from fever, infection or heavy exercise can be mistaken for kidney disease if the collection is not repeated.
- A low result carries no meaning of its own; it simply indicates no significant loss during that day.
Collecting your sample safely
- No needle is involved: you pass urine into a sterile container, so there is no physical risk.
- Wash your hands before and after, and don't touch the inside of the container or lid, so the sample stays clean.
- Close the lid firmly and keep the sample cool until it is collected, since a sample left warm can give a misleading result.
- 1This measures protein leaving the body in urine, which is a kidney question, not the protein circulating in blood.
- 2The collection covers a full day, and that is precisely what makes the figure exact.
- 3Heavy protein loss is a different clinical situation from a small, incidental one.
- 4It is generally a confirmatory or specialist test rather than a first-line screen.
- 5An incomplete collection is the commonest reason for a misleading result.
- Urine StudiesProtein / Creatinine Ratio, Random Urine
This ratio estimates 24-hour protein excretion from a single urine sample, avoiding the inconvenience of a full-day collection. It is widely used to…
120View - Urine StudiesProtein, Total, Urine
This test measures total protein in a urine sample. Protein in urine (proteinuria) can indicate kidney damage, and persistent findings warrant…
35View - Urine StudiesMicroalbumin, 24 Hrs. Urine
This 24-hour urine test measures tiny amounts of albumin that leak through the kidneys. It is the most precise method for detecting early diabetic…
90View - BiochemistryProtein, Total, Serum
Total protein measures the combined amount of albumin and globulin in your blood. It helps assess liver function, kidney function, nutritional…
25View
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about the Protein, Total, 24 Hours Urine test. Can't find what you're looking for?
Talk to our team→Our laboratory reports 0 to 149 mg/24h as normal, meaning no significant protein loss during that collection. A result of 150 mg/24h or more is reported as high and may indicate kidney involvement. The size of the figure matters: a heavy loss is a different clinical situation from a small, incidental one.
Start in the morning by emptying your bladder into the toilet and noting the time. From then on, every passing of urine, including at night, goes into the container supplied, finishing with your first urine at the same time the next morning, which is included. Keep the container closed and cool, and neither add nor remove anything.
The main causes are glomerular disease, where the kidney's filtering membranes leak protein, and diabetic kidney disease beyond its earliest stage. Pre-eclampsia in pregnancy, tubular disease and abnormal protein production in a marrow disorder such as myeloma also raise it. A fever, infection or heavy exertion during the collection can cause a temporary rise.
Nephrotic syndrome is defined by heavy protein loss through the kidney filters, so measuring the exact amount lost over a full day is central to diagnosing and classifying it. The same measurement is then repeated to judge whether treatment is reducing the leak. It shows how much protein is lost, not which protein or why, so further tests usually follow.
Yes. Strenuous exercise, a fever or a urinary infection during the collection day can raise protein loss temporarily and be mistaken for kidney disease. Postpone the collection if you have a fever, an infection or your period, avoid heavy exercise that day, and expect an abnormal result to be repeated before conclusions are drawn.
No, and the two answer different questions. The blood test measures protein circulating in the bloodstream, while this measures protein escaping into the urine, which reflects how well the kidney filters are holding protein back.
The total will read low and the result may look better than the truth. Tell the laboratory, as it is usually best to start the collection again on another day.
Urine left warm allows bacteria to grow and some components to break down, which distorts the measurement. A closed, cool container preserves the sample across the collection period.
The ratio is an estimate. When the exact amount influences a decision such as a biopsy or a change in immune-suppressing treatment, the full-day measurement is preferred.
No fasting is required, and you should eat and drink normally throughout the collection. Avoid strenuous exercise on the collection day, and tell the team about your medicines, especially anti-inflammatory painkillers and blood-pressure treatment.
The 24-hour urine protein test is AED 35, including a physician-reviewed report, with results usually within 24 hours. Home collection anywhere in Dubai is free when your order reaches AED 300 or includes a package; below that, a AED 100 home collection fee applies (AED 50 for a lab walk-in).