In 1987, there was so far no data about surface tension in urine of different urologic disorders nor of physiologic human status.
That is why nearly 500 out-patients were seen and their urine measured twice with a ring tensiometer by Fa.Krüss, Hamburg.
Several proposals for methods to investigate the changes in the surface tension of biological or body fluids have been made already, since it has been suspected that such changes might reflect a pathophysiological status of the respective organism. Data on systematic measurements of the surface tension of various physiological fluids have been published, but not yet for urine during various urological diseases.
Measurements of the surface tension of amniotic fluid were carried out clinically in conjunction with the respiratory distress syndrome. Other measurements of the surface tension were performed on bile, blood, cerebrospinal fluid, serum, lymph, saliva and tears.
ABSOLOM et al. investigated in 1983, whether substrates with different surface tensions would induce a different degree of conformational change in adsorbed protein molecules, and whether these differences in the degree of change would be reflected by differences in the surface tension of the adsorbed layers. Their results were in good agreement with the relative hydrophobicity of the investigated proteins, as determined by other, independent
methods.
MYSELS carried out surface tension studies of bile salts dissolved in water with the purpose to show that, on the base of certain assumptions, the results of measurements of the surface tension of the solution may be translatable directly into the monomer activity and thus yield an indication for correlation. (...)
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Materials and methods
2.1. The Ring Method
2.2. Details of the measuring procedure
2.2.1. Border surface between a liquid and a gaseous phase
2.2.2. Border surface between two liquid phases
2.2.3. Evaluation of the results of the measurements
2.2.4. Remarks concerning the measuring accuracy
2.2.5. Measurement on solutions containing tensides
2.3. Procedure
Research Objectives and Topics
The primary research objective of this thesis is to investigate the surface tension of human urine in a clinical setting to determine if variations in surface tension correlate with urological disorders or specific pathological findings in 495 patients.
- Methodological evaluation of the "Ring Method" for measuring fluid surface tension.
- Clinical analysis of surface tension in relation to demographic factors (age, sex).
- Statistical correlation of urine surface tension with electrolyte levels and pH-values.
- Examination of surface tension variations regarding pathological findings such as kidney disease and cystoscopic results.
Excerpt from the Book
1. Introduction
Several proposals for methods to investigate the changes in the surface tension of biological or body fluids have been made already, since it has been suspected that such changes might reflect a pathophysiological status of the respective organism. Data on systematic measurements of the surface tension of various physiological fluids have been published, but not yet for urine during various urological diseases.
Measurements of the surface tension of amniotic fluid were carried out clinically in conjunction with the respiratory distress syndrome (6, 7, 9). Other measurements of the surface tension were performed on bile, blood, cerebrospinal fluid, serum, lymph, saliva and tears.
ABSOLOM et al. (1) investigated in 1983, whether substrates with different surface tensions would induce a different degree of conformational change in adsorbed protein molecules, and whether these differences in the degree of change would be reflected by differences in the surface tension of the adsorbed layers. Their results were in good agreement with the relative hydrophobicity of the investigated proteins, as determined by other, independent methods.
MYSELS (10) carried out surface tension studies of bile salts dissolved in water with the purpose to show that, on the base of certain assumptions, the results of measurements of the surface tension of the solution may be translatable directly into the monomer activity and thus yield an indication for correlation.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter reviews existing literature on the surface tension of body fluids and justifies the need to investigate urine, which has been largely neglected in clinical urological diagnostics.
2. Materials and methods: This section details the experimental setup using the "Ring Method" to measure surface tension and outlines the clinical procedure for collecting and classifying urine samples from 495 patients.
Keywords
Surface tension, urine, urology, Ring Method, tensiometer, pathophysiology, electrolytes, clinical diagnostics, kidney diseases, cystoscopy, patient data, statistical analysis, surface active substances, surfactants, membrane turnover.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this thesis?
The thesis focuses on the systematic measurement and clinical evaluation of the surface tension of human urine to identify potential diagnostic markers for various urological disorders.
Which central themes are examined?
The work examines physical measurement techniques (Ring Method), the influence of chemical urine components like electrolytes and pH, and the correlation with clinical pathologies such as cystitis, kidney tumors, and stones.
What is the primary research goal?
The primary goal is to determine whether measuring the surface tension of urine serves as a reliable differential test or diagnostic indicator for different urological conditions.
Which scientific method is utilized?
The study employs the "Ring Method" (using a tensiometer Model K 10) to measure the force required to pull a platinum ring through the liquid surface, followed by statistical variance analysis of the results.
What is covered in the main body?
The main body covers the theoretical principles of surface tension, technical procedures for measurement, and extensive data analysis comparing surface tension values across various patient groups based on demographics and health status.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Key terms include Surface tension, urine, urology, Ring Method, clinical diagnostics, and pathophysiology.
Is there a significant difference in surface tension between male and female patients?
Based on the study of 495 patients, the data shows that no specific difference in urine surface tension exists between sexes.
Does the presence of leucocytes or bacteria affect the surface tension significantly?
The statistical analysis of the study indicates no significant, systematic rise or fall in mean surface tension levels in relation to the quantity of leucocytes, bacteria, or epithelial cells observed in the urine.
What was observed regarding patients with uric acid stones?
While outliers with uric acid stones showed lower mean surface tension (38.94 nM/m), the study concluded that these results were not significantly different from other patient groups.
What is the author's conclusion regarding future diagnostic use?
The author suggests that urine surface tension measurement is a cost-effective, non-invasive method that may gain acceptance in the future as a screening tool in andrology and urology.
- Quote paper
- Dr. Hanspeter Moser (Author), 1987, Measurement of Surface Tension in Urines of 495 Out-Patients of a Private Office, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/381210
